A Different Perspective
by shadow eyes
Summary: Something happens to the Stevens siblings that changes their outlook in things...can louis save ren in time? or will he be too late? finally FINISHED! don't forget to write a review! thanks! P
1. High School Life

As I've said, this is my first Even Stevens fanfic, so please be patient with me. Don't forget to write a review! Thanks! ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

Chapter 1: High School Life 

"I cannot believe the amount of homework the teachers are giving us these days!" Ren Stevens said as she slammed her locker shut. "I mean, school has just started four days ago, and look at the pages we're supposed to read." 

Ruby, who stood beside her, rolled her eyes as they started walking the halls of Jefferson Memorial High School. "Come on, Ren," she said as she put her arm around her best friend. "Do you honestly believe that the teachers expect us to read all of those?" Ren nodded her vigorously. "Of course not!" Ruby exclaimed as they stopped in front of a classroom.

"But Ruby, I can't just slack off, like some people I know," Ren said, as she  narrowed her eyes on the three people walking towards them.  

"What's up, sis?" Louis asked with a big goofy grin on his face. "How 'bout a little hug there, huh?" He opened his arms wide to hug Ren. 

"Louis, what are you doing?" she said, eyebrows raised. "Oh, so that's how you greet your little brother? You being the student council president, newspaper editor and all that other stuff give us little time to see each other, and this is how you greet me?" He said with mock indignation.

 Ren smacked him on the shoulders. "Give me a break, Louis! We see each other at home, we drive to school together, and, hard as I try to avoid it, we see each other on the hallways."

Louis rubbed his chin, "Oh yeah." Both he and Twitty burst out laughing. Tawny just rolled her eyes. "Don't mind those guys. Anyway, so where are you guys headed?"

"Actually, the council is having a meeting today," Ren said as she motioned towards the room. Twitty, who was goofing around with Louis, suddenly spoke up. "Oh hey Ren, try to do something about the cafeteria food. They serve some really nasty stuff there." 

"it's not really on the list of agendas," Ren reasoned. 

"Come on now, Ren. I know you can do it. Please?" Louis piped in, giving her his best puppy dog eyes.  

Ren heaved a sigh. "Fine, whatever, but it's not high on my priority list, though." 

Twitty and Louis gave each other high fives. "Alright!" Twitty exclaimed.

"See, I told you,  it actually pays to have a sister on the student council!" Louis said.

"I hate to break your celebration, but we need to get going," Tawny said to the two. 

"What about you, where are you guys headed?" Ruby asked. 

"Chemistry, with Mr. Henderson," she Tawny answered. 

"Good, I really have to get going now, they're probably waiting for me," Ren said as she checked her watch. 

"I have to go too," Ruby said. "I'm meeting Monique at the gym." 

They all said their goodbyes, and Ren started to walk towards the door. "Oh hey Tawny?" she called out.

Tawny, who was dragging both Louis and Twitty by the arms, turned around. "Yes?" 

"Try to make him listen to the lessons, this time," she said, pointing to Louis. 

"Sure. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it." Tawny gave her a grin before waving goodbye.

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It's boring, I know, but it's because I want a little introduction here. Next chapter is up, so please, enjoy. 


	2. Cruising

**Chapter 2: Cruising**

"Man, I know I must have said this a thousand times, but whoa, your sister's wheels are sweet!" Twitty exclaimed as they strolled on the parking lot, headed for the little red sports car parked under the sun. 

"I don't get it," Louis said as he shook his head. "Just because she had good grades all her life, became president of some stupid council and editor of the newspaper, my parents bought her a car like that. I mean, doesn't that scream favoritism?" he looked expectedly at Twitty.

"Uh, whatever Lou," he answered dismissively. "So, where's your sister?"

"I don't know," he said as he looked on his watch. "Meeting's probably gone late, I guess."

"Well, aren't gonna get in?" Twitty asked.

Louis looked at him oddly. "She has the keys, duh!" he exclaimed.

"Dude, today's Thursday. Aren't you allowed to drive your sister's car home on Thursdays?" 

A wide smile formed on Louis face. "You know Twitty, I almost forgot about that!" 

"Great dude, now's your chance to drive that baby." He squinted his eyes towards Ren, who was walking on the parking lot. "Hey, here comes Ren."

"You want to catch a ride with us?" Louis asked.

Twitty shook his head. "Nah, I'm gonna shoot some hoops with some boys from the team." He gave a wave before leaving. "See you later, dude!"

"Alan's not going to catch a ride with us?" Ren asked as soon as she arrived. 

"No, he's going to shoot some hoops," Louis answered. A big smile is plastered on his face. He walked towards her and put his arms around her. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Ren narrowed her eyes. "What?" she asked.

"Today is Thursday, and you know what that means?"

Her eyes went big with realization. "Damn, I was hoping you'd forget that!"

"Come on now, Ren, give me the keys. Give it to your sweet little brother," Louis said, extending his hand.  

"Fine," she said, tossing him the keys. "But as soon as you put a scratch on it, even a tiny dent, I'll make sure you'll never drive again for the rest of your natural life." She opened the passenger door and hopped inside. 

Louis did the same thing. "Don't worry sis, I got that part figured out." He started engine and stepped on the gas pedal, wearing a maniacal grin on his face.

*********************

"Louis, are you blind or what?" Ren said as he glanced at her brother. "You were supposed to take a left on that street. This road is headed towards the b-"

"Beach, I know," he answered with a smile. "I just thought we take a scenic tour of the beach before heading home." He turned to her "Hey, maybe we can meet some hunky boys, huh?" They were cruising down the road at a fairly high speed. Ren raised her eyebrows. He cleared his throat. "For you, I mean, and some babes for me too" he said. "Ren, I tell you, this car is a babe magnet. Besides, you should relax sometime, you know."

"Relax? Relax!" Ren looked like she was about to burst. "I have a big exam tomorrow not to mention that assignment on History and you're telling me to relax?!" She glanced at her watch. "You better turn this car around, Louis Stevens, or your really going to get it this time." She threatened him.

"Dear sister, Ren, Rennie," he turned and smiled sweetly at her. "How many times do I have to tell you, what's livin' if you never pull your pants down and slide on the ice, huh?"  He stepped further on the pedal.

Ren turned restlessly on her seat. "Louis, will you please slow down." she said quietly. The car was speeding dangerously on the road now.

Louis gave her a dismissive wave. "Relax Ren, I got it." 

"I said slow down! You're going to get us killed." Ren exclaimed anxiously.

He pretended he didn't hear her. "Boy, this car is great, Ren." He turned to her again with a smile. "You are so lucky. I wonder when I'm gonna get mine," he wondered. He smiled goofily, no doubt going off into some fantasy.

"Louis!" Ren exclaimed. They were nearing a sharp curve, and the car was still shooting down the road. Suddenly, a big truck appeared on the road ahead of them. Her eyes went big with terror, her mouth suddenly gone dry. 

"Louis!" she shouted hysterically at her brother.

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	3. The faster you go

Chapter 3: The faster you go… 

"Louis!" Ren shouted hysterically at her brother. Immediately, he was jolted out of his fantasy. The sight in front of him made his blood run ice cold.

"Shit!" he screamed as he scrambled to turn the wheel. The trunk's deafening horn seemed to signal the imminent crash.

Ren could not believe her eyes. She saw, as if in slow motion, the truck inching its way in front of their car. She couldn't breath, it seemed that her heart got stuck in her throat. It was then that she realized that she's been holding her breath. Her life flashed before her eyes. 

His hands have already turned white from his grip on the steering wheel. Frantically, he tries to avoid the crash. He swerves the car hard to the right, as they round the sharp curve. Something inside screamed at him to do something, but all he could think about at the moment was the truck ahead. _Oh god, oh god! Please don't let this happen!_ Alas, his prayers fell on deaf ears. Just as they were about to clear the curve, the truck clipped the end of the car. This sent them on a dangerous tailspin. Louis stole a quick glance at his sister, a feeling of dread creeping its way from head to toe.  

Ren felt like she was floating. Everything was spinning so fast around her. Faster and faster, she could hardly see the things around her. Then she heard it. First a dull sound, then rising and rising, until she realized that it was the sound of a scream. It took moments before she recognized that it was her own.

The car continued its fast and dangerous spin, its path seemingly endless. Nobody could have prepared them for the impact, as the car's passenger side finally hit a tree. The crash sounding very much like an explosion. In an instant, the car was jolted into an eerie stop. Everything faded into darkness.

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So, how was that chapter? Please don't forget to write a review! 


	4. the more fatal it is

Chapter 4: … the more fatal it is. 

Louis woke up with a start, blood pounding on his ears. He winced as he felt a dull pain in his head.Slowly, he tried to move, feeling as if his body is just one giant bruise. Miraculously, aside from the small blood trickling from his head and dull pain in his right arm, his injuries didn't seem too serious. Most of his injuries were small cuts and gashes. _Ren!_ He suddenly remembered. He was so sure he felt his heartbeat jump twenty times faster. Inch by inch he turned his head towards his sister. For the second time, his blood ran ice cold. He swallowed hard, trying to push down the bile threatening to spill out of his mouth. Beside him, Ren lies, seemingly lifeless. Her head, lying against the window, was soaked with blood. He also noticed that there was a pool of blood on her abdomen. In fact, everywhere he looked, blood seems to appear from every angle. "Ren!" he croaked, tears forming in his eyes. "Ren, answer me!" he tried once again. He didn't realize it, but he was crying uncontrollably this time. 

A moment passed before he noticed that a middle-aged man was rapping on his window. He signaled Louis to open the door, which he promptly followed. "Son, are you alright?" he asked.

Louis took off his seatbelt and scurried out of his, ignoring the pain of his whole body. "Please help me sir," he stammered tearfully. "M-my sister, she won't move. I-I called her a few times, but s-she wouldn't respond." Sobs racked his whole body. "You've got to help me sir," he said as he tugged at the man's sleeves.

"Okay, son, just calm down. We'll get your sister out." He led Louis on the sidewalk. "I already called an ambulance, are you sure you're alright?" Louis could only nod in response. "Stay here while I get your sister." The man left him and went to the car. Louis felt like an hour has passed before the man finally extracted Ren from the mangled car. In reality, only minutes have passed. 

He laid down Ren on the grass a good ten meters away from the car. The man signaled him to follow. He scampered towards them. "Oh my god, oh my god," Louis exclaimed. Ren's body was deathly pale, her right arm bent at an odd angle. "Th-there's so much blood," he whispered. In the background, a vague sound of sirens can be heard.

The man tried to comfort him. "Don't worry son, the ambulance is almost here."

He knelt beside her sister. He delicately stroked her face, tears still falling from his eyes. "Please Ren, hang on," he whispered softly. 

*******************

Please forgive me if this chapter is a bit too graphic. But still, I hope you don't forget to write a review! Thanks! ^_^ 


	5. Miracles do come true

Chapter 5: Miracles do come true 

Steve and Eileen Stevens barged inside the double doors of the emergency room, followed closely by Donnie. As soon as they heard what happened, they immediately left for the hospital. They immediately headed towards the information desk.

"My children, where are they?" Eileen frenetically asked. Steve tried to hold back his wife. 

"Stevens, Ren and Louis Stevens. Someone called and said that they were involved in a car accident." He said to the nurse.

"Trauma rooms 1 and 2, end of the hallway, to the left," she answered, motioning towards the room.

With a couple of great strides, they reached the room. "Mom, Dad!" Louis called out to them. He was inside the first room. 

"Louis!" Eileen exclaimed, hugging his son. "Are you alright?" she asked worriedly. "What happened? Where's Ren?"

At mention of her name, tears immediately formed on Louis's eyes. Soon, his whole body was racked with sobs. 

"Eileen…" Steve whispered to her wife. She glanced at her husband. Both he and Donnie were gazing towards the next room. In there, Ren's body laid in the gurney, with a couple of machines attached to it. Her knees began to buckle, but Donnie caught her in time. 

Inside, doctors and nurses were trying frantically to revive her. Alarms were going off everywhere.

"Get in another bag of O-neg stat!"

"Her pulse/ox is low."

"She's still losing blood."

"That's it, get that rapid infuser in."

"BP is dropping."

"She's getting into v-tach!"

"Squeeze in 0.5 mg of lidocaine."

"Still no response."

"She's in v-fib!"

"Bag her and start compressions. Don't let her get in asystole!"

"Get in 50cc of epi, and charge those paddles!"

 "Alright, clear!!" 

Louis winced as he saw Ren's body jumped a few good inches from the bed. Eileen hugged her youngest child tighter.

"Charge it to 250! Clear!"

"I'm sorry, mom and dad, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." He shook his head. "If-if I had just done what she asked, this never would have happened." 

"Charge it to 300! Clear!"

"Don't worry son, Ren will make it." Steve tried to comfort him. "Yeah, she's strong, she'll make it." He repeated softy.

Just then, a machine blurted out a different sound. What the doctors said next felt like music to their ears:

"We got a pulse."

******************** 

I wrote this one because I had the uncontrollable urge to insert an ER scene into the story. I guess I just really missed that adrenaline rush I get when I write those ER fanfics, though I'm still suffering from writer's block on my last one. ^_^  Anyway, I'm dragging this hospital scene for another chapter, so I hope you'll bear with me. Please, read and review! Thanks! ^_^


	6. Confessions of the heart

**Chapter 6: Confessions of the heart**

Steve was pacing anxiously inside the waiting room when the door suddenly opened. A man in a scrub suit entered the room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Stevens?" he asked.

Eileen, who was seated beside Donnie, immediately stood up. "How are they? What took them so long?"

The man raised up his hand. "Please, have a seat." He signaled them towards the small couch. "My name is Dr. Bergen. Uh, would you like some coffee?"

This time, it was Steve who spoke up. "No thank you, doctor." He heaved a sigh. "Please, tell us the condition of our children."

"Okay," he answered. "Well, aside from that sprained arm and a minor contusion, he sustained no more further serious injuries. Mostly it was cuts and bruises, and some minor gashes."

"So what you're saying is that he's okay, right?" Donnie suddenly asked. The three adults turned their heads towards him.

"Yes, your brother is fine. We have to keep him overnight though, he did sustain a minor contusion." The doctor clarified.

A huge smile crept across Donnie's face. "Well, what about my sister, Ren? I mean, she's going to be okay too, right? I mean, we saw them saved her." he looked expectantly at him. Steve and Eileen did the same.

It took a few beats before the doctor answered. "Well, uh, Ren sustained more serious injuries."  He said quietly. 

Everybody's face fell. "How serious?" Eileen asked, her voice quivering.

"She sustained a dislocated right arm and a hairline fracture on her wrist too. The fourth and fifth rib was broken, and her left lung was punctured. There were some internal bleeding, but we were able to repair them." Again, he paused. "But, she also sustained a head trauma. We did some tests, and results showed that her brain might have sustained some bruising." 

"Well, what does that mean? Doctor, will she be alright?" Steve asked impatiently.

"She slipped into coma," he answered.

Eileen could not believe what she just heard. "C-coma?" Tears began forming on her eyes.

"I assure you, Mrs. Stevens, a lot of people recover from these kind of injuries." He smiled at them, trying to reassure the distraught parents. 

"Yeah, but for how long?" Steve angrily retorted.  

"Please sir, calm down. Usually, patients who sustained head trauma such as hers recover from coma within days."  

"Can we see them?" Eileen asked.

The doctor glanced at his watch. "Well, visiting time is almost over, but I'll talk to the head nurse to give you a couple of minutes more." Steve and Eileen stood up. "They already transferred your daughter on a private room with a private nurse on the eighth floor. I've also made arrangements for your son to be in the room next to hers. If you would just follow me, I'll take you to them."

***********************  

Louis pretended to sleep as soon as he heard voices outside his room. Quietly, his mother, father and Donnie entered. A few moments later, he felt someone stroking his head. A silent sob can also be heard.

"Shh," Steve said in a hushed voice. "You'll wake him up." 

"Don't worry mom, Louis will be fine. The doctor said it himself." Donnie assured his mother.

"I know, but Ren-"

"Ren… will be fine. We just… have to wait." Steve put his arms around his wife. "Nobody in the Stevens family is a quitter. She'll come out of it, you'll see."

Louis tried hard not to react to their conversation. A feeling of dread is slowly spreading him. 

"I just don't understand," Eileen said, shaking her head. "How could this have happened?"

"I'm sure this was nothing but an accident. There's really no one to blame here." He reminded his wife. "The kids have always been aware of the responsibilities of driving."

_Responsibilities. The word struck Louis hard like a knife. If the car crash didn't kill him, he might as well die of guilt. _

A small knock sounded on the door and a nurse peeked inside. "I'm sorry, but it's already fifteen minutes past the visiting hours. I've talked to Dr. Bergen, and it was arranged that you could come visit an hour earlier that the usual visiting hours."

As soon as they left, Louis opened his eyes wide and stared at the ceiling. The word seemed to echo in his mind over and over. Finally, he stood up from his bed and fixed his hospital gown. He took a peek outside, and when the coast is clear, sneaked inside her sister's room.

What he saw broke his heart into pieces. Ren, his dear sister, lying there on the bed with different tubes sticking from her arm. Her head was wrapped in a bandage, right arm on a sling and a cast around her wrist. Beside her bed was a heart monitor, sounding like an ominous warning. 

He took a seat beside her bed and rested his chin beside her arm. Gently, he cupped her face in his had, delicately caressing her smooth skin. Until now, he never realized how beautiful her sister was, even in her current state. Tears were flowing freely from his eyes, but he made no move of wiping it.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful and great you are?" he whispered. "No? Well, you are. You're probably the greatest most beautiful sister there has ever been." He continued to touch her face. "How about 'I love you?' Have I ever told you that? Well then, I do, I really do. I love you, Ren, and I'm sorry for teasing you, and doing those mean jokes on you. I'm sorry for making fun of you and not taking you seriously. I'm so sorry for hurting you like this…" he choked. "This never would have happened if I just listened to you; if I had just acted responsible, like you always said." He laid down his head on the bed. Then, he gingerly lifted her hand and placed it on his cheek.  

Never, in his life, has he ever felt this awful. His emotions threaten to overwhelm him: confusion, remorse, anger, dread, distraught… but most of all, guilt. It was the feeling that hurts him the most, like an acid slowly eating him from inside out. "I'm so sorry," again he whispered, before finally drifting into sleep.

The next day, Steve and Eileen were very surprised to see Louis sleeping peacefully beside his sister. 

"Your son gave us quite a scare last night," the nurse said as she entered the room. "Some nurse entered his room to check on him, but instead she found his bed empty. Fortunately, the other nurse found him in deep slumber beside his sister." She narrated as she checked for vital signs and replaced Ren's IV. "Nobody wanted to wake him up because he looked so peaceful."

Steve and Eileen smiled at each other. "Well, he must be really worried about her," he said. "Well even though they fight a lot, we know Louis loves his sister so much. I guess he just hasn't realized it until now."

*****************

"Louis, we came in as soon as we got off at school, how are you?" Tawny asked as she and Twitty came barging into the room. 

A look of shock registered on both their faces as soon as they caught sight of Ren. "Oh-oh my god," she breathed. 

Louis, who was sitting beside Ren's bed like a guard dog, greeted them. "Hi guys," he said quietly. 

Twitty and Tawny inched their way towards him. "Louis, what happened?" Twitty asked.

Louis just shook his head in response. "I'd rather not talk about it right now."

"How's Ren? Is she going to be alright?" Tawny quietly asked.

He nodded his head slowly. "Doctors said that she'd wake up one of these days. They're just not sure when."

"What about you, are _you_ alright?" looking directly at him.

Louis took a moment before answering. "Yeah, I'm alright. Nothing but a sprained arm and some big bruises."

Tawny's looked as if she was about to say something but changed her mind. Her stare lingered for a moment before breaking it off.

"Hey, have a seat. Mom and dad just went home to get some things. Donnie will be here too in a couple of hours." he said to his friends. The two willingly obliged.

Twitty broke the awkward silence and snapped his fingers. "Dude, I just remembered, some of the teachers wanted me to give you a copy of the assignments they gave." He reached into his backpack to get some papers, but he caught Tawny's eyes and she shot him some dagger looks. "Uh, unless of course you're still not ready for it. You know, 'coz you're still in the hospital, and all." He smiled at him nervously.

"It's okay, Twitty," he answered as he reached for the papers. "The doctor discharged me three hours ago. I'll do it when I get home tonight."

Twitty stole a quick glance at Tawny and saw the puzzled look on her face. "Louis, are you sure you're up to it?" Tawny suddenly asked. "I mean, you've just been in an accident, you should at least take some rest. I'm sure the teachers will understand."

"No Tawny, it's nothing really, I'll do these homework tonight, for a change." Louis assured her. Yes, for a change, he told himself. Some things in life just have to change. Actually for him, everything has got to change. That he was sure of.

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Don't be a stranger. Please, I'd love to hear from you! ^_^

Bye the way, Happy New Year, everyone! 


	7. As normal as it gets

**Chapter 7: As normal as it gets**

"Hey Ren, how's it going?" Louis cheerfully asked as he entered the hospital room. "Sorry I was late; I had to drop by some of your teachers. I got you a copy of the assignments they gave out." He shoved his bag to the floor and stood beside the bed. "Well, you're looking a lot better now." He said as he smoothed over the creases of the bed and tucked some of her loose hair. "Doctors said that you should wake up anytime soon now, but, that's just them. I still think you're being stubborn, you know." He sighed at his unresponsive sister.

"Still not talking, huh? Anyway, Ruby and Monique were here yesterday." He gave a laugh. "I actually half expected you to suddenly wake up and talk about the things you missed." He took a seat beside her and rested his head on the bed. "Actually, I'm quite surprised, Ren." He said, continuing to talk to his sister. "Well, remember that time you had the flu? You were so determined to have a perfect record that mom had to order you to stay in bed. _Now you're missing a lot of school time." _

"Hey, did you know that Larry Beale is actually worried and asking about you?" he said with a grin. "Guess he's kinda lost without you to compete with!" he laughed out loud. "Well, not that he can."

He took a quick glance at his sister. "Since it's just the two of us here today, why don't I tell you about my day." He said as he lazily closed his eyes. He didn't even notice the small movement on the bed. "Let's see… uh, you know, the council is missing you, the newspaper is missing you… Well in fact the whole school is missing you! Even some of those hot guys, uh, according to Tawny anyway, have been asking about you. Looks like you still got it, sis!" He laughed at himself. "Oh, hey you know that history teacher, Mrs. Pullman? She gives these super hard exams. You'll never guess what I did last night." He paused. "I know what you're thinking and no, I didn't sneak in the school to look at the test papers. I actually followed your advice and studied. When we took the test today, she actually said I aced it! What can you say about that, huh?" he excitedly told her.

He really wasn't expecting any answer so, suffice to say, he was quite freaked out when a small hoarse voice sounded in the room. "That's great, Lou," Ren answered with a sleepy smile. 

*********************

_A few weeks later****_

"So, how's Ren doing?" Twitty asked as they took a seat. "She's already home from the hospital, isn't she?" Immediately, he started chewing down his lunch. 

"Yeah, she got home yesterday," Louis confirmed. "Mom and dad wanted to make sure the therapy's finished before they actually took her home."

Tawny looked up from her lunch. "When is she coming back to school?"

"Probably on Monday. Her doctor advised her to take some rest before returning to school." He answered. 

"Oh hey Lou, how about coming with us to the beach this afternoon? Let's check out the new store there." Twitty suggested with a huge grin. "Some of the guys said you can find major babes in there."

"Can't Twitty, I've got to study for that math exam tomorrow. Besides, I still haven't finished my science report, you know." 

Twitty's smile froze. "Well, what about tomorrow then. Gary is throwing a huge party tomorrow night, maybe we could swing by. He really knows how to throw cool parties."

"Well, I promised my mom to help Ren sort out her school work 'coz she missed a lot of school, so…" 

Twitty looked oddly at him. At the same time Tawny, who had been listening to their conversation, turned her head towards Louis. "Louis, are you sure you're alright?" she curiously asked. Twitty nodded in agreement.

Louis narrowed his eyes at his two best friends. "Yeah, why?" he asked suspiciously.

"You're not feeling dizzy or something? Feeling sick lately?" Twitty asked. 

"I told you, I'm fine. Why? What's the matter with you two?" he looked back and forth at them. "You know, you guys are kinda acting weird these past few weeks. Is something going on that I should know about?"

Twitty looked incredulously at him. "Oh, we?! Dude, _you're the one who's- Ow!"_

Tawny had kicked him on the foot, hard.

"What was that for?!" he asked, rubbing his foot.

Tawny gave Louis a sweet smile. "Don't mind him, Louis," she told him.  "He's been pretty out of it, lately," she said as she cast a meaningful look at Twitty.

"Whatever, look guys, I've got to run," Louis said as he picked up his things. "I need to swing by the library and get some books for that report. Maybe I'll get something for Ren too… Well, see you guys later." He turned to walk away but not before giving his friends a curious look.

Twitty and Tawny gazed at him until he disappeared around the corner.

"Did you hear everything he said?!" Twitty asked as soon as Louis was out of ear shot.   

Tawny rolled her eyes. "No, actually I was busy pondering about that dream I had last night," she replied sarcastically. "Of course, Twitty. I'm not deaf you know," she retorted.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Why'd you kick me and then tell him _I_ was out of it?" he leaned forward and dropped his voice. "_He's the one who's pretty out of it since the-"_

"The accident, I know," she interjected.  

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say something funky happened on that day." He said with a shake on his head. "Maybe he hit his head too hard, 'coz it's almost as if he's acting so…"

"Responsible?" she supplied.

"Exactly!" he exclaimed. "He's acting very responsible now. You know, studying for the exams, submitting reports, doing the assignments, which are not very Louis-like."

 Tawny nodded in agreement. "I know what you mean. I know it's a good thing he's changed and all, but he kind of scares me. I don't think I've ever seen him like that."

"What do you think happened on that accident?"

She gave a shrug. "I don't know, he never seems to bring it up and when I ask him about it, he changes the topic." She sighed. "I guess he's just not ready to talk about it." 

Just then, the school bell rang, signaling the end of their conversation.

*********************

Louis got home and found Ren sitting on the couch with a magazine on her lap.

"Oh, hey Ren, what are you doing down here? Aren't you supposed to be resting?" he greeted her.

Ren looked up from the magazine she was leafing through and smiled at him. "Well, I am. I just don't want to die of boredom upstairs." She got back on her magazine. 

"That reminds me," he said as he rummaged through his backpack. "I got you some books from the library. You know, to help you catch up on your studies."

"Thanks Louis, maybe you could put it in my room with my other school stuff." She said without looking up.

"Oh," he said, disappointed. He wasn't really expecting her to jump up in down in glee, but he wasn't expecting her somewhat dismissive response, either. "Aren't you going to do those assignments and special projects your teachers gave you? I mean,  you did miss out school for a while."

Ren looked up towards her brother. "Uh, sure I will, but I just don't feel like doing it today. Maybe on the weekend." She smiled at him.

He smiled at her uncertainly. "That's cool. Well, if you need help or anything, just tell me, alright? 'Coz you shouldn't push yourself too hard doing those things. "

"Sure, thanks Lou," she answered, still busy with her magazine. 

Louis peeked at the magazine she's holding. "What's that you're reading, anyway?"

"Oh nothing, really." She answered. "Mom insisted that we go on shopping for tomorrow and get some new things, so I'm browsing for some ideas."

He took a seat beside his sister. "Are you sure you're supposed to be doing that? I mean, the doctor did say that you should rest, and shopping… well, shopping could be stressful, you know." He said, nodding his head. "Uh huh, I've read that somewhere."

Ren laughed out loud and rolled her eyes. "Louis," she said as she put her arm around her brother. "The doctor only said rest, not _retire." She reasoned. "Besides, I think it's good to go out and have fun, for a change."_

Louis looked strangely at her for a second before finally standing up. Now, why did that phrase sounded familiar? "Well, you're the boss. Anyway, I've got to study for tomorrow, so if you need anything, anything at all, just holler, okay?"

Ren raised her eyebrow. "Boy, you sure did changed since that last time I remembered, before the-"

Louis cut her off. "Ren, about that," he said, suddenly turning serious. "That last time, I really didn't mean for it to-"

"You know what, let's forget that thing. As they say, the past is the past. I mean, we shouldn't dwell on it. I'm not blaming you or anything." She smiled at her brother reassuringly. "It doesn't really matter to me. What really matters is right now. And right now you need to study, and I have to get back on my magazine." She grinned at him and went back to her magazine.

"Right," he nodded uncertainly. "Whatever you say." He gave her one last puzzled look before leaving her alone.

******************  

Tell me what you think, okay? 

A million thanks to everyone who gave their reviews! ^_^


	8. Ren's first day

**Chapter 8: Ren's first day**

"Hurry up Ren! You don't want to be late on your first day back to school!" Louis shouted. He folded his arms across his chest as he waited impatiently for his sister to come down. "What's taking you so long?"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," she said as she trudged down the stairs. "Pipe down, will you?"   

He did a double take on her as soon as she reached the foot of the stairs. "You're _wearing _that to school?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah," she answered with a shrug. "What's wrong with it?" She walked towards the kitchen where both their parents were having coffee. Louis was instantly at her heels.

He narrowed his eyes. "Don't you think that skirt is a little, uh, short?" Really, he was seeing a lot of skin, for him anyway. Guys would definitely be staring.

Ren scoffed at his remark. "Louis, since when did you start being my fashion adviser?" She gathered her things in her bag. She turned to her mom. "It's a good thing I didn't get any ugly scars from the accident."

"Yeah Ren," Eileen agreed. "That ointment the doctor gave works like magic, or else we wouldn't be able to get that skirt."

"Mom!" Louis said as he turned towards her. "You actually got her that?!"

"What? I think it's pretty nice." She said as she sipped her coffee.

Louis groaned. They obviously didn't get his point. "I'll wait for you outside," he conceded. 

Ren watched him curiously as he stepped outside the door. "Louis is sure acting weird these past few days." 

Steve looked up from the newspaper he was reading. "Lou's been like that for some time now, and I think it's good he's changed. Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

"Sure, whatever you say, dad." She picked up her bag. "I need to get going. He might have a fit if I don't show up in three minutes." She gave both of them a kiss before disappearing through the door.

********************

"Are you sure you don't need help carrying your things?" Louis asked for the millionth time.

Ren grabbed him by the shoulder and looked directly at his eyes. "Louis, how many times must I answer that question?! You ask that  every five seconds since we left home! I can carry my own things, thank you very much." She let go of him and continued on walking.

"Geez," he said as he rubbed his shoulders. "No need to get all physical on me, you know. I was just asking." He quickened his pace to catch up with her. 

"Hey, there's Ruby and Monique," she said, giving them a wave. 

"Guess that's my cue," he muttered. "I'll see you after school, okay? I'll be waiting for you outside." He never got a reply. Ren was already halfway towards her friends. Squeals of delight were heard as soon as she reached them. 

Louis sighed as he watched the three friends talk animatedly with each other. 

*****************

"Ren, oh my god, it's so nice to see you!" Monique shrieked excitedly. She proceeded to give her friend a big hug.

"Monique wait," Ruby called out. "You don't want to give her broken bones all over again, do you?" she cautioned her.

Monique stopped dead at her tracks. "Oh, right."

Ren rolled her eyes. "Girls, come on, this is not the welcome I expected to receive. Now, where's my hug?" She opened her arms wide.

Ruby and Monique were practically jumping up and down as they hug their best friend.

"We need some major catching up to do," Ren said as soon as they let go of her. "I mean, it feels like a lot has changed since I last remembered."

"Yeah, and for starters, _you_!" Ruby looked at her from head to toe, grinning. "I must say, that outfit looks totally fabulous on you!"

Monique nodded in agreement. "It's not the outfit I expect for you to wear, but you go girl!"

She smiled at them. "You like it? Mom and I got it at the mall last weekend."

"We do," Monique said happily.

"Yeah, and apparently so do they," Ruby whispered as she motioned towards the guys from across the yard. "They are _so _checking you out." She gushed.

Ren looked at their direction. Sure enough, the guys were looking, more correctly staring, at her. She flashed them a smile and gave a little wave.

Ruby and Monique exchanged surprised glances.

"What?" she innocently asked as she caught their expression. "I was just greeting them." 

"Right, greeting them," Ruby mumbled with a knowing look. "Well, come on, we don't want to be late for school. Besides," she added. "If we stay a little longer, those guys might drown us with their drool."

"Eww!" Ren and Monique chorused. Before they could react further, she had already grabbed both their wrists and dragged them towards the school building.

Ren gave one last glance at the guys and smiled. Male attention was not something new to her. Sure, she had them before. She just didn't pay that much attention to it. But somehow, she was starting to enjoy now. 

****************

"Hey Lou, how's it going?" Twitty asked as soon as he reached his locker. He craned his neck to scan the area. "I thought Ren was coming to school today?"

"She is," he answered as he searched his locker. "She's just outside with Ruby and Monique, probably catching up on things. Where's Tawny?"

"I don't know, must be running late."

Just then, Ren appeared at the hallway, flaked by her friends. Everybody's head seemed to turn as Ren walked, actually _sauntered_, through the halls. Lots of "nice to see you!" and "welcome back!" were heard. She smiled as she greeted all of them. 

Louis slammed his locker shut, annoyed at the attention her sister was getting, especially from the school's male population.

"Dude, not to offend you or anything, but," Twitty said as he stared at Ren. "I never really noticed that your sister is that… hot, to put it gently." He confided.

Louis hit him on the shoulders. "Shut up, Twitty," he angrily said.   

"Ow," he said, rubbing his shoulders. "I was just stating the obvious, man. I bet lots of guys have already noticed that."  He suddenly smiled brightly as Ren and company passed by. 

"Hi Ren, Nice to see you back!" he greeted them.

Ren flashed him a smile. "Thanks, Alan," she replied. "Hi Lou, catch you guys later."

Louis watched as her sister disappeared in the corner. He then stomped off to class, followed closely by a rather confused Twitty.

*******************

"So Ren, have you finished those assignments I gave you?" Mrs. Peterson asked. 

Ren tried her best to hide her surprise as she looked up from her notebook. "About that, Mrs. Peterson." She smiled at her sweetly. "I was wondering if you could give me an extension. I haven't really finished it, since… I just got back from the hospital…" she trailed off, not knowing what to say next.

Her teacher looked at her for a moment before speaking. "Fine then, submit it to me by Friday. Is that clear?"

"Yes ma'am, " she quickly answered.

"Alright, moving on," her teacher finally said to the class. "If you open your physics book to page 248, the second law of Newton states.."

Mrs. Peterson's voice faded into background as Ren heaved a sigh of relief. In reality, she hasn't even started doing it. In fact, she hasn't started doing any of her assignments. Ever since she got home, she found out that she was just not in the mood to bury herself in a mountain of school work, like she always did. Well, maybe she don't need to, if she could just persuade her other teachers like she did with Mrs. Peterson.

***************

Thanks! Don't forget to write a review! ^_^


	9. Tell tale signs

**Chapter 9: Tell tale signs**

"Good work, Stevens," Louis' teacher said with a pat on his shoulder. "If you keep this up, I'm sure you'll have a chance of being offered a scholarship when you get to college, just like your sister." The teacher continued on giving out the papers.

He smiled widely as he took his paper. A huge A+ was encircled at the upper right corner. 

The bell rang, signaling lunch. "Okay class, don't forget," the teacher announced as students started streaming out of the class. "Deadline for the report is on Monday. I suggest you do it well. I don't give special projects to failing students."

Tawny and Twitty waited outside the classroom. Finally, Louis emerged from the room, still wearing his smile as he held his paper.

He looked up at his friends. "Let's go, guys," he said. "I'm starving."

Twitty grabbed his paper from his hands. "I still don't believe," he said as they walked towards the cafeteria. "You aced another test, man. That's like, for the hundredth time now." He lowered his voice. "Dude, you're not cheating or something, are you? 'Coz you'll get into big trouble if somebody finds out."

"Twitty, how many times do I have to answer that? NO!" he answered as they line up to get lunch. Twitty's questions were starting to annoy him.

"Give it a rest," Tawny warned him. "I stopped wondering ages ago. You'd better do the same."   

Louis turned and smiled sweetly at her. "Thanks, Tawny."

"But, if you were indeed doing something fishy, you'd better share with us, or Principal Cutnell will hear about it."

"Ha ha, very funny," he said sarcastically. "Come on," he said as they got their lunch. "Let's grab a seat outside."

Hey Lou, isn't that Ren?" Twitty said as he pointed to the table across. 

Louis followed Twitty's gaze and found Ren, surrounded by guys. Great, they were practically drooling over her. Louis furiously shoved some food into his mouth. 

"I don't think I've ever seen her with that many guys around." Twitty remarked.

"Well, I don't think I've ever seen her _entertain_ that many guys," Tawny seconded. She glanced at Louis, who was angrily chewing down his food. "Louis, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Tawny," he curtly answered. He was trying really hard to concentrate on the burger he was eating.

"Slow down, Lou, or you'll choke on your food." Twitty said, but Louis didn't seem to hear him. He looked at Tawny, who gave a shrug in response.

****************

"So, what do you think about my article?" Ruby asked as they scanned the area for a place to settle down. "Over there, Ren," she pointed to an empty bench. They placed their things and sat down.

"So?" Ruby asked, looking expectantly at her.

Ren's face went blank. "What?" she replied, distracted.

"My article, what do you think about it?" Ruby raised her eyebrows. "You _have read it, haven't you?"_

Ren bit her lower lip. "Actually no, I haven't got the chance to read it." She caught her friend's disappointed look. "But I'm sure it was great!" she said with a huge smile. "Uh huh, I'm sure it was." She repeated, nodding.

"Hello, earth to Ren!" Ruby exclaimed. "What's wrong with you? You seem to be pretty out of it, lately." 

Ren scoffed at her. "No, I'm not." 

"Uh huh, right," Ruby replied sarcastically. "Just this morning you zoned out during Math and forgot your assignment in World History. That is so very unlike you, Ren."

She dismissed her with a small laugh. "Relax, Ruby. I guess I just need to catch up, that's all." She suddenly waved at someone behind her friend.

"Not to mention that," Ruby hissed. "What ever happened to your 'guys are nothing but distraction' speech. The way you're acting now, seems as if you like the distraction." She turned her head and found a couple of guys making their way towards them. "Oh my god, Will and his teammates are headed this way!" she squealed excitedly.

Ren smirked at her. "What changed your mind?"

"Well, members of the soccer are always welcome," she conceded. "So, what do you think the captain of the soccer team wants with you?"

"Beats me," she said with a shrug. "Here they come." She whispered. 

"Hey Ren," Will greeted her as soon as they reached their table. He was tall and well built, his tan perfectly complementing his sharp features. "I'm Will, by the way."

Before Ren could respond, Ruby interrupted them. "We know!" she quickly said. 

Ren gave her a slight kick on the feet.

"I mean, she knows," she said, more calmly this time. 

Ren smiled at him. "Yeah, I know who you are. We, the paper I mean, cover your every game." She noticed Ruby giving her a meaningful look. "By the way, this is my friend-"

"Ruby, right?" he said, turning to her.

She flashed him a huge smile. "Yes, nice to meet you."

He introduced his companions. "By the way, these are my teammates: Brad, Colby, Ryan, and Wes." He smiled at her. "Well, we just thought we'd drop by and say hi. So, hi, I guess."

"Well then, hi," Ren responded. She raised her eyebrows. "You _are here just to say hi, right?"_

He smiled sheepishly at her. "Well, actually no. I also wanted to say that I'm having a party Friday night, and I was wondering if you two would like to come." He looked expectantly at her. 

Ren pondered for a moment. "Let me think about it," she said and smiled coyly at him

"Alright, that's cool," he said. "Let me know, okay?" he gave her a wink before leaving with his friends. "Alright, see you later then."

As soon as they left, Ruby turned and looked incredulously at Ren. "Let me think about it?" she said, echoing her. "What kind of answer was that?!" 

"What?"

"Ren, one of the hottest guys in school personally asked you to come to his party. Are you or are you not going?!" 

"Are you kidding? I am _so_ going to be at that party!" she exclaimed. Ren caught herself and cleared her throat. "But I wasn't about to let him hear that answer."

Ruby was practically jumping up and down in her seat in sheer excitement as Ren smiled to herself. Yep, she could get used to this.

******************

Louis checked his watch for the third time as he stood by the entrance door. It was already ten minutes passed three and Ren was still nowhere in sight. 

He scanned the area for his sister. He spotted her just as she was getting out of the building.

"Hey Ren," he called out. He jogged towards her. "Come on' let's get going. I need to get home 'coz I still have to finish my report." He started to grab Ren's things when somebody called her.

They both turned around to see a guy walking towards them. It was Will, and he gave them a little wave. 

Now would have been the chance to drag Ren and ran the hell outta there. Too late, he was already in front of them.

"Hey Will," Ren greeted. "Oh, have you met my brother, Louis?" she said. "He's Will, the captain of the soccer team," she introduced to her brother.

"Nice to meet you, Louis," he said, extending his hand.

Too bad he didn't feel the same way towards him. "Hi," he said tightly.

Will turned to her sister. "So, have you thought about it?"

Louis narrowed his eyes. Thought about what? What does this guy want with her sister?

"Maybe," she answered tentatively. She smiled at him.

And why is Ren answering 'maybe'?!

"That's great!" he exclaimed. "Oh by the way, are you doing anything this afternoon? 'Coz I thought you might want to hang out with me."

Ren paused for a moment. "I don't know…"

"How 'bout we hang out just for a while and then I give you a ride home," he offered.

"Uh, okay… sure, I guess," she finally accepted.

Louis stared at her in disbelief. Since when did Ren started accepting rides from guys she hardly knows at school?

"Alright, let's go," he grinned as he showed her the way.

"I guess I'll see you at home, Lou," Ren called out.

"Yeah, see you later, Louis," Will waved at him.

"But, I thought…"he trailed off. His sister had already run off with a guy, something he definitely did not saw coming.

*****************

 Christmas break is over, so I guess I wouldn't be able to update quickly as I used to. Well, thanks for reading, and I hope you write a review!!! Cheers!  


	10. Asking for help

**Chapter 10: Asking for help**

"I can't believe Will's party is tonight. I'm so excited!" Ren squealed as she slammed her locker shut.  

"Girl, you're not the only one!" Ruby chirped in. "We are going to have so much fun!" She leaned beside her, hugging her things. "I wonder how many boys we are going to meet there," she said with a dreamy look in her eyes. 

"Breathe, Ruby, breathe," She said with a smirk.

Ren's words jolted her out of her fantasy. "Oops, sorry!" she said with a smile. "So, what are you wearing to the party?" she asked.

Instantly, Ren's face lit up with a mischievous smile. "Well, I bought this outfit from the mall a few days ago. I think that would be just right for the party." 

Ruby raised her eyebrow. "You know, I've been seeing that smile for quite some time this week. Ren, what are you planning this time?"

She looked innocently at her. "Ruby, I really don't know what you're talking about."  

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Right," she answered with a laugh. "By the way, how are we getting there tonight?" she asked her. "I already talked to Monique, but she said she already promised to go there with a couple of girls from the squad. I was thinking-"

Ren cut her off with a dismissive wave, and glanced past her shoulder. Ren smiled at someone. It didn't take a second for Ruby to realize that some guy was definitely coming their way. True enough, she heard Will's voice as he greeted them.

"Hi there Ren, Ruby," Will said.

Ruby turned around to see Will as he gave them a sweet smile.

"Hey," Ren greeted with a grin.

Ruby smiled back. "Will, how nice of you to drop by. So, how's the party coming?" 

"Great," he answered, nodding. "Everything's coming out great. You guys are definitely coming, right?" He looked at Ren.

"Yeah sure, we'll be there," she answered. Ruby nodded in agreement. 

They both noticed that he was still standing there without saying a word.

Ren smiled at him, amused. "Is there anything else on your mind?" she asked. 

He gave a rather nervous laugh. "Well actually yeah. I was kinda wondering about your plans this evening. Maybe I could come by your house, you know, and pick you up for the party." He looked at her expectantly. " I mean if that's okay with you."

Ren's eyes went wide. "No!" she quickly interjected. Ruby gave her an incredulous look and nudged her with an elbow.

Disappointment briefly registered on Will's face. "Oh, okay."

"Wait, that's not what I meant," she said, shaking her head. "What I mean is, I'd love to…"  his face quickly lit up. "But I can't." 

Once again, he looked disappointed. "Well, it's okay, really, if you don't want to. I'm not forcing you or anything."

"No, it's not that. It's just that, I already promised Ruby that we'll go to the party together, and I don't want to break that." She ignored the puzzled look her friend gave her. "Besides, how will the party start when you're not there? I mean, you are the host." She smiled at him reassuringly. "I hope that's okay with you."

He nodded at her. "Hey, that's cool," he gave a small laugh. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. Guess I'll see you later. " He started to leave.

They too, started to walk towards to their class.

"Oh hey Ren," he suddenly turned around.

"Yes?"

"Since I won't be picking you up tonight, how about I give you a little ride home this afternoon?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "Sure, why not. You've only been giving me a ride home the whole week." She said with a laugh.

"Alright, I'll se you later then," he beamed. "Bye Ruby," he added with a little wave.

Ruby pounced on Ren as soon as Will disappeared at the corner. "What were you thinking?!" she asked. "He was offering to pick you up tonight!" They continued on walking in the hallway.

"I know Ruby," she sighed. "But he really can't. It's not a good idea for him to show up at my doorstep tonight."

She looked at her questioningly. "Well, why not? You said it yourself – he's been giving you a ride home for the whole week. I'm pretty sure everybody at your house knows about him." Ren nodded in response. "Then what 's the problem?'

Ren bit her lower lip. "Well, I haven't told my parent yet about the party tonight."

"And why is that?" Ruby asked.

"Because I wasn't planning to in the first place."

"What?!" Ruby exclaimed. "Are you serious? Don't tell me that you, Ren Stevens, will be sneaking out tonight to attend that party?!"

"Shhhh!" Ren hushed her best friend. She looked around and noticed a couple of heads turning their way. "You don't understand. My parents will not let me go to that party." She quickly dropped her voice. "They were not so happy when they found out about Will giving me a ride home, not after the accident." She frowned. "Imagine what their reaction would be if he showed up with his car to pick me up for a party." 

They stopped in front  of their classroom. "Well, what are you planning to do, then?" Ruby asked.

"I already had it all figured out." She revealed. "When I get home, I'm going to tell them that I'd be at your house to work on a project. I'll put on a coat or something to hide my clothes. You don't even need to make an appearance. I'll be walking by your house, and then we could go there." 

Ruby looked at her with apprehension. "Do you think this would really work?"

"Of course it will!" she assured her best friend. "All I need is a little help." She said with a smile. Yes, she was going to need a little _brotherly help. _

******************** 

Louis was preparing a snack in the kitchen when he heard the front door open and shut. 

"Mom? Dad?" he heard his sister call out.

"They're not home yet," he answered from the kitchen. Footsteps sounded and after a few seconds, Ren appeared. "Dad's not gonna be home for at least another hour. Mom called and she said she's on her way home. She's just going to drop by the store to pick up something. " He narrated as he put a tomato on top of his salami.

"Perfect, I need to do this quick before both of them gets home." She mumbled to herself.

Louis quickly glanced at her. "Is there a problem?" he asked at her.  

She cut right to the chase. "Yes, actually I wanted to ask you for a favor." 

A slight smile started to form in his face. "Sure! Do you need help on a project, assignment, report?" he asked eagerly as he take a bite on his sandwich. 

Ren looked at him weirdly. "No, actually," she answered with an amused laugh. "I was going to ask you to cover for me. You probably know that Will is having a party at his house tonight. Ruby and I are planning to go there."

He almost choked his salami. "You're what?!" Was he hearing her right?

"We're going Will's party," she repeated. "I was hoping you wouldn't mention it to mom or dad." She looked at him expectantly.

"You are actually going to his party?!" he asked incredulously. "Nuh-uh, no way. No Ren, I'm not." He rubbed his forehead vigorously. There is _no way he's agreeing to this. He's not about to let his sister go anywhere near that place. There is absolutely no way he's letting her go in a place full of booze and horny boys._

"But Louis!" Ren protested. She gave him her best puppy dog eyes. "I already promised some people that I'll be there. Please?"

He looked at his sister with great trepidation. "I don't know Ren…"

"Please? Technically, you're not going to lie to mom and dad, if that's what you're worried about." She paused for a second. "Actually, why should you be worried about that? I mean, I'm sure as hell this isn't your first time to lie to them."

Louis frowned at her comment.

Ren seemed to realize her mistake. "Wait, that sentence didn't come out right."

Louis shook his head. "Nope, it didn't." 

"Please, Lou," she said desperately. "All I'm asking you is that you refrain from mentioning anything about the party. Please, that's all I ask." She begged his brother.

Louis could not believe what he was hearing. Ren was outright begging him to keep quiet. Under any other circumstances, he'd be thrilled to help her out - _other being the keyword. He shook his head vigorously. Nope, he's just not going to let this happen._

**********************   

Hope you all liked that one. Please, don't forget to write a review!!! Thanks to all those who gave one. You've been really helpful. ^_^


	11. Little white lies

**Chapter 11: Little white lies**

Louis mentally kicked himself as he trudged grudgingly beside his sister. It was a cool night and they were walking their way towards Ruby's house. He hugged his jacket tighter. He cannot believe he was actually accompanying Ren to Ruby's house so that they could attend Will Coulson's party.

********Flashback**********

"What's the rush, Ren?" Eileen asked her daughter. The four of them were and having dinner. "You seem to be in a hurry." She observed.

"You going somewhere?" her father prodded. 

Louis kept his eyes on his plate. He was concentrating hard on his string beans. Well, he was trying to, anyway. 

"Well-uh, actually, I am," Ren answered. "Ruby called a while ago and asked if I can come over tonight and start working on that physics project we were going to do together." 

Eileen frowned at her. "Tonight? Why can't you do it tomorrow?"

Ren was surprised by the question, but she recovered in time. "It's complicated mom, and we need all the head start we could get. I don't think we could finish it if we start tomorrow."  

Louis looked up at her sister, who avoided his gaze. She was really determined to go to that party.

"Well, okay," Steve agreed. "But it's getting kind of late. Maybe one of us could drop you off and pick you up later."

Ren answered a little too quickly. "No, it's really okay, dad." She smiled at them.  Good thing they hadn't noticed it, except maybe for Louis. He quickly glanced her way. "Uh-maybe Louis could walk me there later." She quickly suggested. "I mean, it's just a few blocks away."  

Both his parents turned to him and looked expectedly. He stole another quick glance at Ren. She gave him a meaningful look, pleading silently. He sighed. Saying 'no' is not really one of his stronger suits, especially when coupled with those pleading looks. "Sure, whatever," he finally conceded. There, he said it. The die is cast. He can't take it back now. 

"Well, okay then. Just don't stay up late, honey," Eileen told her daughter. 

"Give us a call if you need us to pick you up." Her father said.

Ren could barely contain her huge grin. "That's not really necessary dad. I'm sure Ruby can drop me off later."

*********End of Flashback*********

Louis chastised himself silently. Why he agreed to this in the first place, he wasn't sure himself. Now he's totally regretting it. 

"Louis, did you hear what I said?" Ren's voice suddenly spoke up, shattering his thoughts.

"Hmm?" he turned to her, confused. "Wh-what was that?"

Ren rolled her eyes at her younger brother. "I said I appreciate your help." She repeated, hugging her long coat. 

"Yeah, whatever," he dismissed it. An awkward silence passed as they continued on walking.

It was Louis who finally broke the silence. "When did you start going to parties, anyway? Especially these kinds." he asked. "As far as I recall, you were not too keen on these things." He pondered for a moment. "Do you actually like Will? Since when did you start to prefer jocks?" he probed her.

"What is this, twenty questions?" she shot back. It took a moment before she answered. "So, what if I like him? I don't think there's anything wrong with that." She continued on walking.

"Well, for one thing – he's a jerk." He said as a matter of fact.

Ren shook her head. "You don't know him, Louis." 

"Yeah, well just because he's the captain of the soccer team doesn't mean that he could bully everyone else into doing his bidding." He glanced at her. "He thinks he's the king of the school or something. He's dated almost half the female population of the school."

Ren was still not buying it. "_Now_ you're exaggerating." 

He grunted in response. "Okay, for another – he throws these wild parties. That's wild as in scary wild," he clarified. "At least trust me on that."

She stopped and turned to his brother. "Louis, what is wrong with you?" she asked, irritated.    

"No Ren, what is wrong with _you_?" Louis countered. "I don't get it, why are you acting all… weird?" he said, frustrated. He just couldn't find the exact word to describe his sister's behavior these past days.

"Ha!" Ren laughed sarcastically. "You should talk! You're the one who's been acting weird." She started walking and hastened her pace as they crossed the street.

Louis had to jog to catch up with her. 'Wait, Ren."

"You should be happy, Louis. For once in my life I'm actually following your advice." She took a quick glance behind her. Louis fell into a step behind her.

He thought for a second. "And what advice would that be?" He doesn't remember giving her any advice. 

"To have fun!" she exclaimed, voice rising. "And I'm following just that. From now on I want to have fun!"

"No, I never told you that," he refuted. He never told his sister to act like this.  

Ren gave a snort. "_What's living if you never pull your shorts down and slide on the ice? _Does that line ring a bell?" she smirked at him. "Isn't that your life's maxim or something? You've been proclaiming it like a priest, in fact better than a priest! You should be happy someone has actually listened to you – me!" 

He quickened his pace. "Wait, you don't understand. That's not really what it meant." Louis objected as he caught up with her. Ruby's house was only five doors down.

"Oh, but I do, Louis. In fact I understand it quite perfectly." Ren answered with a nod, still not slowing down. "People only get to live once, Lou. And what would life be without having fun?" They were almost at Ruby's driveway. "That's what it meant; think about it." 

Louis stopped dead at his tracks behind Ren. For once in his life, he didn't have a comeback for that. Actually, he's not really sure how to respond. 

Ren turned her head slightly and glanced at Louis. She paused for a moment before speaking. "Thanks for walking me here. I hope you won't tell them." She took a step towards the front door. "I'll see you later," she quietly said, her back still turned towards him. Without another word, she strode towards the door and rang the bell.

*********************

Louis lumbered quietly past their driveway. Ren's words were still ringing in his ears. He thought about it the whole time he was on his way back home. Did he really tell her that? Well thinking back, yeah, he did say that. But back then he thought it seemed fun. Now that he thought about it a while ago, it sounded really stupid.

He sighed as he silently opened the door and let himself in. Louis never really thought that Ren would take him seriously that time. As he thought about it, he actually felt worse. He couldn't help but blame himself. Great, him and his stupid big mouth. 

He made his way to the stairs. His head was aching from all the thinking and he needed his bed. He was midway up the stairs when his mother appeared at the top of the stairs. 

"Hey Lou, calling it a night?" Eileen asked. 

He hesitated. "Um, I don't know mom. I might work on some of those assignments first." He continued on ascending the stairs.

"Alright, but don't work too hard, okay?" she said. "You still have plenty of time to o it tomorrow." She looked at him, concern etched on her face. "I noticed you've been working pretty hard these past few weeks."

He gave her a kiss on the cheek as he reached her. "Don't worry mom, I won't." He answered. 

Eileen started for the stairs but stopped as she reached the first step down. "Oh by the way, Lou," Eileen called out.

He paused just as he was about to reach for the door of his room. "Yes?" he asked, turning around to face his mother.

"Did Ren tell you what time they are going to finish that project?"

It took a moment before Louis could answer her. He felt as if something huge was stuck in his throat. "Uh, about that, mom," he started. "I-uh, I really think she'll be home late tonight. I mean, I heard what they were going to do, and I think that the project is really going to take some time." He cleared his throat. "Maybe you shouldn't wait for her. I'm sure Ruby's mom could drop her off, and she could let herself in. She did bring her keys." He nodded at her reassuringly.

Eileen thought for a moment. "Well, alright," she finally agreed. "Goodnight, Louis," she said as she finally continued down the stairs.

"Goodnight, mom," Louis answered quietly. 

He gave out a sigh. Ren was right. This was definitely not the first time he lied to his parents. He did it countless times. But now, something was definitely wrong, and every inch of his body knew it. His heart was hammering twenty times faster in his chest. A knot started to form in his gut. 

Louis swallowed hard and tried to shake the terrible feeling away. He never felt that way before. He knew he was helping Ren this way, she even said so herself. He was sure of that. So then why does he keep having the impression that he's leading his sister to the lion's den?

**********************

Hey, special shout outs to those who gave their reviews! Thanks guys! Tell me what you think about this one. ^_^  


	12. Making an entrance

**Chapter 12: Making an entrance**

Ren never even looked back at Louis as she rang the doorbell. She heaved a sigh of relief as soon as his footsteps sounded faint in the distance. She checked her reflection on the window as she waited. 

"I got it!" someone from inside shouted. Moments later, loud footsteps were heard leading to the front door. The door opened and revealed Ruby on the other side. She still had her bathrobe on.

"Ren, come on in! I'm so sorry, I'll be ready in a minute," she said as she ushered her inside. She closed the door behind her. "By the way, my mom already agreed to lend me the car for the night." She turned to look at her friend.  "I hope that's not you're outfit for tonight." Ruby said as she eyed Ren's long coat. She wrinkled her nose. "It's not really a party-ish, don't you think?" she said with a grin. She signaled Ren to follow her and led her to her room.

She laughed out loud. "Well, same goes for you." 

Ruby opened her door and let her in. "Have a seat," she said, gesturing to her bed. "I'll be ready in five minutes." She then disappeared through the bathroom.

"You know what, its okay. It's actually better to come fashionably late to these kind of parties." Ren assured her. "Well according to some people, anyway." She added with a chuckle. She checked herself in the mirror. It's a good thing her parents never had the chance to see her before she left. If they did, questions were surely going to be asked. 

Ruby finally emerged from the bathroom after a couple of minutes. It was Ren's turned to look at her friend.

"Wow," she exclaimed. "I must say, that is pretty nice."

Ruby had a very pleased look on her face. "Thanks, I knew you were going to like it. What about you, am I going to see what's behind that coat of yours?"

Ren smiled at her slyly. "Sure you will," she answered. "When we get to that party." She grabbed Ruby's purse and handed it to her. 

As soon as they were both ready, they dashed to the car parked outside. Ruby opened the car and signaled Ren to hop inside. She started the engine and turned on the radio.

They chatted for a while as they drove through the neighborhood. Within minutes, they were cruising down the highway. A few more minutes passed, and they were in another neighborhood. It was noticeably posh-looking.

Ruby slowed down the car in front of a two-story mansion. The house was classy and simple yet elegant, indicating the high-end lifestyles of the owners. Loud music emanated from inside, indicating the party that was currently taking place. 

She parked beside a silver sports car and turned off the engine. She took a deep breath before glancing at Ren. "Ready?" she asked excitedly.

"Let's go," Ren replied with a smile. She took a final glance on the rearview mirror and checked her reflection. Perfect. 

She reached inside the coat for her purse before opening the door and stepping out. She smiled to herself.  They better hold on to their seats, because Ren Stevens is here it party!

*******************

Loud music was blaring throughout the house as Will checked out the crowd. He smiled to himself. As usual, his party has a great turnout, and everybody was having a great time. He craned his neck to survey the sea of people before him. Almost half of the school was here. Well, who wouldn't want to go to Will Coulson's party? It had everything: the crowd, the music, the booze and of course, the babes. 

He squeezed himself into the crowd. The dj had just put on some cool music and everybody was on their feet, dancing. "Hey, Will!" someone called out.

He turned around towards the direction of the voice. "Over here, man," someone shouted. He scanned again for a few seconds, and then finally saw someone waving at him. He made his way towards the three guys near the bar.

"Hey, nice party!" A tall, muscular man greeted him. He could already smell the alcohol on his breath. They gave each other high fives.

"Kyle, glad you guys could make it!" he answered with a grin. They were practically shouting at each other. One of the other guys handed him a bottle of beer, which he gratefully took. 

 "Are you kidding?" The man looked at him as if he was crazy. "Who would want to miss the party of the year?!"

Will couldn't help but laugh at his comment. "Well, that seems to be the consensus around here." He said, gesturing towards the partying crowd.  He glanced in the direction of the door before he took a swig at his beer bottle. 

Kyle put down his bottle and grabbed one of the tequila shot glasses being passed around. 

Will smiled and did the same. He set down the empty shot glass, and once again looked expectantly at the door. She should be here any minute now.

"Hey Will," Kyle said as he nudged him. "You waiting for something?" he asked. His face lit up as realization struck him. "Oh, hey I remembered, tonight's th-"

"Shut up, man," he quickly hushed him. He looked around to see if anyone heard them. 

Kyle held up his hands in front of him. "Hey, whatever works for you, man. I just don't think she will show up. This isn't exactly her kind of thing." He smiled as he examined the people. He winked at some girls looking their way.

Will turned his attention back to the door, ignoring his friend's comment.

He frowned at him. "I don't get it, anyway. There will always be more than enough hotties whenever you throw a party. That's a given. So why would you suddenly settle for Ren-"

He stopped in midsentence, his jaw dropping as the door suddenly opened. As if on cue, Ren appeared on the doorway. "Stevens," he continued as he stared at her.

All eyes seemed to turn to her as she entered the room – minus the coat. Ruby can barely even be noticed as she stood beside her friend. It was as if someone put a spotlight on her, and she was simply stunning. Not that she was complaining; she actually loved it. 

Ren smiled inwardly as she saw their reaction. This was much better that she expected. She studied the crowd, hoping to see some familiar faces. So far, she could only count a handful of people she actually knew. Most of them she only recognized as other students from the school.

From across the room, Will gave a wave at their direction, smiling brightly at them. She smiled as she dragged Ruby towards him. People were still looking as they sauntered their way across the room. 

Kyle, who was still standing behind Will, quickly grabbed his arms. "How come I never noticed it before?!" he asked furiously. "Since when did she become such a hot-"

He elbowed him, signaling to stay quiet as Ren and Ruby finally reached them. His smile got wider as he got a closer look at her. She was wearing a little red dress that would make any warm-blooded man go boiling hot inside, to say the least.

"Hey," Will greeted them with a smile. "You guys made it. I was afraid you weren't gonna come."

Ruby chuckled. "And actually miss this? I don't think so!" She smiled as she noticed someone standing behind him.

"Oh, by the way, I don't think you've met my friend, Kyle. He's on the football team," he said, remembering to introduce him. He turned to him. "This is Ruby Mendel and-"

"Ren Stevens," Kyle interrupted, extending out his hand. He gave her a sexy smile. "I must say, that was quite an entrance. I never expected the president of the student council to grace this party." He said candidly. 

She took his hand and gave it a light shake. "Yeah, and it looks like you weren't the only one." She said, noticing the jealous stares she kept getting from the other girls. Not to mention the stares coming from the other guys, too.  

Will immediately stood close beside Ren and looked expectantly towards him. 

"That's my cue," Kyle mumbled. Before anyone could ask, he quickly cleared his throat. "Uh, hey Ruby, how about a dance," he asked, offering his hand. 

"Well, I'd love to," Ruby replied with a grin. "See yah," she gave Ren a small wave before taking Kyle's hand. 

"See you later guys," Kyle said. "That is, if we could find you," he added with a laugh. He ignored the tight smile Will gave him. "Good luck," he whispered to his friend. He gave him a mischievous wink before disappearing into the crowd. 

"Great party," Ren said as she examined the crowd. She turned in time to see Will grab a glass of beer and tequila from the bar. 

"Here, take your pick," he said, offering both glasses to her.

Ren frowned a little. "I don't really drink alcohol." 

He laughed out loud and smiled at her, amused. "Ren, come on! I thought you came here to have fun?" He held the glasses up in front of her. "These things are _half of the fun." He smiled hopefully at her. "Come on, what's it gonna be?" He asked her, dangling the glasses playfully._

She looked hesitantly at him, then at the glasses, and back at him again. Well, she _did_ come here to have fun… so, what the heck. She might as well do what she came for. She took the small glass of tequila from Will and raised it up. "Well, bottoms up," she said, and then swallowed the liquor swiftly in one gulp.

Will watched her with a pleased look on his face. He took a mouthful of beer and smiled silently to himself. This is definitely going to be a _great night._

**********************

Looks like our Ren's getting herself into a little trouble here! What do you think? Well, don't forget to write a review. Thanks! ^_^


	13. Longest night

**Chapter 13: Longest Night**

Louis woke up with a start. He blinked a few times as he studied his surroundings. He tried to sit up, but noticed something heavy was pinning his chest. Rubbing his eyes, he looked down to see what it was. His opened book was resting on him. Right, now he remembered. He was studying chemistry when he suddenly fell asleep. Well, he was trying to anyway. But all he really did was to stare at the clock every five minutes for over two hours. 

He glanced at the clock beside his bed. Thirty minutes had past since last time he checked, which meant he was asleep for half an hour. And Ren has still yet to come home. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, getting worried. 

Louis stifled a yawn as he opened the door of his room. He silently crept downstairs and made his way to the living room. He was very much surprised when he found his mother sitting by the counter top. Papers were all over the table.

"Mom," Louis called out in surprise. "What are you still doing down here?"

Eileen turned around, equally surprised. "Louis, I thought you were already asleep."

He frowned a bit. "Well, I thought I'd watch some movies first." He poured himself a glass of water. "I-uh, I thought you weren't going to wait for Ren?" He asked.

Eileen continued on examining the paper she was holding. "Yes, but I remembered that I need to go over these papers, and I thought I might as well wait for her." She took a quick look at Louis, who had already positioned himself on the couch. 

He grabbed the remote and turned on the television. "Oh, okay," he replied as he tried to surf for a good channel. Deep inside, his heart started to race. What if Ren suddenly shows up? He could already see his mother's reaction, and it's not a pretty sight. He shook his head a little, trying to get rid of the picture. His mind went into overtime as he frantically thought of a way to change her mind. 

Eileen looked at her watch. It was already ten minutes before eleven. "It's getting really late. Maybe I should call Ruby's house and ask her to come home."

Louis was quick to object. "Wait, mom," he said. "I-uh, I  just talked to her a while ago, actually. Yeah, I called Ruby's house fifteen minutes ago."  He paused for a moment as he carefully thought on how to proceed. "She told me they're still trying to finish at least half of their project." 

Eileen's eyebrows creased. "You called Ruby's house?" she asked, somewhat dubious at his statement.

"Uh huh," he quickly answered without looking away from the television screen. "Hey mom, didn't you say you have an early meeting tomorrow morning?" he asked, hastily changing the subject.

Eileen gave him a little suspicious look, but dismissed it almost instantly. "Yeah, actually. I have a meeting with Senator Wilkins tomorrow morning."

"Well why don't you get some sleep then? I could just stay here and wait for Ren myself." He said, trying to sound casual.

Eileen pondered about Louis' suggestion. It looked like she was having second thoughts about it.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure she'll be home soon, maybe in half hour or so," he added nonchalantly. He still kept his eyes trained on the TV.

"Oh alright," she agreed with a sigh. She stood up and gathered her things.  "I'll see tomorrow," she said as she moved toward him. She gave him a peck on the cheek. "Good night."

"G'night, mom."

Louis watched as his mother disappeared up the stairs. His mind wandered aimlessly as an old movie began to play on the TV. Well, at least he'd taken care of that part of the problem. Now, everything should be alright, if only his sister would just show up like he told his mother. 

******************

Will stared silently at the dance floor as he took a mouthful of beer, as he leaned by the bar.

"I thought she was supposed to be your date?" Someone from beside him asked.

He didn't need to see who it was. It was Wes who was standing beside him. 

"She is." Will answered him tightly. He kept his eyes trailed on the crowd in front of him.

"So, why are you here while she's dancing up a storm out there?" 

He ignored his friend's question. They both watched as the crowd cheered and surrounded Ren. 

Wes looked at his friend. "Getting slow, are we?" he said with a laugh.

He turned angrily at him and grabbed him by his collar. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" he snapped at him.

"Chill out, man!" he answered as he tried to tug free of his grasp. "It was just a joke!"

Will pushed him aside, letting him go. 

"What I mean is you're standing here next to me, while she's out there surrounded by other guys. Now what is wrong with that picture?" He quickly fixed his shirt. "Tick-tock man, the clock is ticking." 

From within the crowd, Will spotted Ren. Apparently, she also saw him, as she gave a little wave toward their direction. "You know what, you're right." He grabbed two shots of tequila from the bar. "I got to get going."

"So how many of those have she had?"

Will gave light shrug. "Beats me. I've actually lost count."

Wes gave him a mischievous grin. "Great, a couple more of those, and you'll be on your way." He gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Good luck."  

*******************

People were cheering wildly all around her.

"Nice moves!" someone shouted.

"Go Ren! Go Ren!" 

Ren smiled as the crowd chanted her name. Never mind if she felt a little bit lightheaded. She sure wasn't going to let it ruin her fun, especially now that she's having such a fantastic time. 

Some guy approached her. "How about a dance with me, Ren?" 

"Why not?" She answered with a huge smile. Okay, so she doesn't actually know him. So what? The guy's a pretty great dancer.

Before long, other guys have approached and asked to cut it. She didn't mind them. Ren continued dancing to the beat of the music and to the sound of cheers pounding her ears. 

"How about I cut in?" a familiar voice spoke up.

Ren and her dance partner turned to see Will holding up two glasses. The guy promptly left, leaving her and Will. 

He handed over a glass. "Here, I thought you could use a drink." 

She willingly accepted it. "Thanks!" She raised it to the crowd, and then swallowed it in one gulp. Ren smiled and threw the glass away. The crowd cheered and shouted loudly.

Will laughed and did the same.

"How about a little dance?" She asked as she hooked her arm around his neck. Ren was obviously tipsy from all the alcohol. "I really love this song." 

He smiled and gladly agreed. Both of them showed really great moves, which made the crowd cheer even more wildly than before. 

"Show her what you got, Will!"

"You go, girl!"

"Alright, man!"

The song ended and everybody around them applauded. Will smiled at them and took a bow. The crowd around them was slowly starting to disperse, but the party was still far from over. Another song came on, and people were once again dancing around, doing their own thing.

"Is it me or is it suddenly so stuffy in here?" Ren suddenly asked. She tried to fan herself using her  hands.

He turned to her and noticed that she looked a little pale. "You don't look so good. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, it's just that it's a little hot in here, don't you think?" She took a couple of steps, toward him, almost tripping in the process.

"Whoa, easy there," Will said as he quickly caught her. He put his arms around her. "Why don't I take you for a little breather? From all that dancing, you look like you really could use one." 

Ren smiled lazily at him. "That would be great." She told him. 

He started to lead her away from the crowd.

"Where are we going, anyway?"

Will smiled sweetly as he answered her question. "Well, somewhere without so many people. You know, some place quiet." He took her hand and looked at her reassuringly.

"…Okay."

*********************

Please, don't forget to write a review! Thanks!!! ^_^ 

By the way, let me warn you, next chapter's going to contain some… graphic scenes. But don't worry though, nothing rated R. That I assure you. 


	14. Heating things up

Chapter 14: Heating things up 

For some unknown reason, everything around her seemed to be spinning round and round, making her extremely dizzy.

Ren put her hand on her forehead, which was lightly covered with sweat. "Are we there yet? 'Coz I think I need to sit down." Her eyes fell on the ground.  "Hey, the floor seems to be moving." Ren's face was now flushed pink. 

Will bit his lower lip. "Well, not yet. Why don't we find you a bed to lie down on?" He tightened his hold on her. "Maybe we could go upstairs, there's plenty of room there with nice big beds."

"You know what, I'm too tired to go upstairs," Ren answered, shaking her head lightly. She tried to focus her vision, squinting her eyes. "I have a great idea. Why don't we go sit by that couch? It's looks really nice and comfy." She headed for the small couch in the corner. 

"But-" Will stopped short of protesting and looked around. A handful of people were still milling around the hall. He bit back a curse. Having no choice, he followed Ren.

She collapsed on the couch as soon as she reached it. "I told you this is comfier." Will took a seat beside her.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "You know, I never actually tasted tequila until tonight." She gave a little laugh and rambled on. "I don't know why I never tried it before. Tastes good, actually. I liked it, even though it tasted bitter at first."

Ren opened her eyes and glanced at Will, who was sitting beside her. "Hey, you're awfully quiet," she observed.

"I was just wondering how long you are planning to sit in here." He turned to her and gave her a smile. "Coz I think I have a better idea." He leaned closer to her.   

********************

Ruby furiously scanned the crowd. "Where could she be?" she asked herself. She hasn't seen her friend since they arrived.

Kyle approached her from behind. "Hey Ruby, what's going on?" he asked. He was holding another bottle of beer on his hands.

"Have you seen Ren? Because I can't seem to find her." She craned her neck to look. Still, there was no sign of her friend.

He scratched his head. "Uh-yeah, I saw them a while ago. You know, they were dancing." He paused. "They probably just went somewhere to cool down, or something. You know what, you shouldn't mind them. I'm sure they're having a pretty good time right now." He said with a huge knowing grin. Before Ruby could see his reaction, he quickly wiped it off his face.

She turned to face him and sighed. 

"Relax, Ruby," Kyle told her. He offered her his beer. "Here, why don't you have a drink? I noticed you barely even tasted yours a while ago."   

Ruby gave him an annoyed look. "Yeah, well, that's because I'm the designated driver tonight. Can't risk being drunk, can I?" she shook her head. "No I can't. Not with Ren, especially after that accident."    

"How about a dance, then?" he quickly suggested. "Come on, this party is far from over. We should enjoy ourselves." He grabbed her arms and tried to lead her to the dance floor. 

She tugged her arm free from his grasp. "No, I don't think so," she stubbornly insisted. Ruby glanced at her watch. "It's really getting late. I'm going to find Ren and tell her we need to go home." She turned to walk away, determined to find her best friend.

"Shit!" Kyle cursed under his breath. "Ruby, wait!" He followed her as she made her way around the house.  

Ruby looked around, hoping to see a familiar face in the crowd. It turned out to be a not-so-great idea. Because so far, all of them are familiar, but none of them she actually knew. Finally, she spotted someone very familiar, someone she knew very well.

"Monique, hey, over here!" she flung her arms wildly to her friend. "Monique!"

Her friend looked up and hurried toward her from across the room. She squealed with delight as she reached her. "Ruby! Can you believe the number of people on this party?!" Monique gave her friend a quick look. "Wow, you look nice! Too bad I didn't get too see you at all this whole time. We could have had a blast together! Hey, you know I was actually on my way to catch a ride home with some gals. Since you're here, why don't I catch a ride with you instead? By the way, where's Ren? I-"

Ruby held out her hand to silence her friend. "Monique, slow down." She paused for a moment and responded to everything that she said. "Uh-huh, there sure was; thanks for the complement, I like your outfit too; and yes, you can catch a ride with us, as soon as you help me find Ren – I can't find her." 

"Oh," Monique replied.

Kyle interrupted them from behind. "Hey Ruby, wait up," he told her breathlessly. He noticed Monique standing in front if Ruby. "Hey," he greeted her.

Ruby gave him a dismissive wave. "That's okay, Kyle. Monique here will help me find Ren. You can go back to the party if you want." Quickly, she grabbed her friend by the arm and weaved in and out of the people.

Kyle sighed as he watched them go. He tried his best, but this thing was definitely out of his hand.

*******************

Will smiled as he leaned more closely to her.

"So what's this great idea of yours?" Ren asked. She turned to face him with a smile. "Are you going to tell me or what?" 

"This," he whispered. His face was only inches away from hers. He leaned in for a soft kiss.

Something inside her screamed at her, but she can't quite figure it out. The loud music from the party was drowning it, whatever it was.

Will pulled slightly away and took a breath and smiled at her. "See, this is definitely much better." He didn't wait for Ren to respond. He lightly cupped her face and kissed her again.

She was quite surprised to feel Will's warm lips pressed against hers. Ren was either too tired or too drunk to resist his kiss. Either way, she just can't think. Her thoughts were hazy and clouded. Hard as she tried, her mind just drew blank. Without much of a choice, she succumbed to his tender kisses. 

They kissed gently at first, their soft lips touching. As seconds passed, the kiss got deeper and deeper. He stroked her arms, feeling her skin. Ren slowly wrapped her arms around his neck. He leaned in closer as they kissed each other passionately. This time, he didn't stop for a breath. He was certainly going to enjoy every second of this.

His hands suddenly found its way to her bare back. Will ran his hands up and down her smooth silky skin. Something was slowly heating up inside him. Sensing no resistance from her, he pulled her closer. He was practically on top of her; their bodies pressed together. Never mind that a few people could actually see them making out on the couch. All he cared about was the girl in front of him. 

He started to button off his shirt, and then he unbuckled his belt. Will tightly wrapped his arms around Ren's waist. Slowly, he tried to lift her up from the couch. He was determined to take this thing a little farther… Some place where it's private.

*******************

Whoa, things sure are getting a little hot to handle. How will Ren get out of this one? Please read and review!


	15. Dousing the fire

**Chapter 15: Dousing the fire**

"Are you sure she hadn't left already?" Monique asked as she followed her friend around. "Maybe she decided to come home early, you know. And one of the guys gave her a lift." She craned her neck and looked around.

Ruby was doing the same thing. "No, she wouldn't do that. She would have told me that if she did. Besides, she sneaked out just to attend this party. She wouldn't risk coming home with a guy." She gave out a frustrated sigh. "I'm getting worried."

"Relax Ruby; I'm sure she's in here somewhere. We'll find her." She looked around the house. "Of course it might take us _days_ to find her here. This place is incredibly huge!"

She took a deep breath. "Okay, Ruby, calm down and focus," she told herself. "Where's the only place we haven't searched yet?" Her eyebrows furrowed and she turned to Monique. "She's definitely not out there in the dance floor, as well as by the pool. We didn't see her by the bar too, although I highly doubted her being there."

"Uh-huh," Monique said with a nod. "We've check by the kitchen and she's also not there. The game room was also full of people, but she wasn't there either." She thought for a moment. "Oh hey, you know we haven't checked upstairs yet." She added hesitantly, lowering her voice.

"Okay, why would we look there?!" she asked incredulously. "No, Ren would definitely not be upstairs." She stated firmly.

"Well, I was just saying." Monique retorted. 

 Ruby thought for a moment. "You know what, I just remembered. We still haven't checked that hall near the front. You know, by the stairs. I thought I saw a couple of people there when we came in."

"Then let's get going." Monique eagerly grabbed her hand and dragged her. "Excuse me, sorry, coming through," she said as they tried to weave in and out of the people. When they reached the hall, it was almost empty, except for some people walking around.

"Well, that's it then. She's also not here," Monique said, sounding dejected. 

"No Monique, we're not giving up until we find her." Ruby told her friend. "Maybe we should ask around for Will. She was with her when I left her."

"Would you look at that?!" her friend exclaimed, pointing to a corner. 

Ruby mumbled to herself. "How hard can it be to find him? I mean, he owns this house and this is his party." She was absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't hear her friend's comment. "Huh? What is it?"

"That!" she pointed again. "Those two by the couch," Monique said. "Ughh, please!  Could someone tell those two to get a room?!" She said in disdain. "I'm sure there's plenty upstairs."

Ruby gazed to where Monique was pointing. Indeed, in the couch by the corner, some couple was doing their _thing_, with blatant disregard for everybody present on the hall. She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but no words made it out. Something about that guy's shirt was familiar. She stared again, hard.

"Ruby, it's not really nice to stare," Monique hissed, tugging her arm. 

A familiar skirt caught her eyes. In an instant her mind registered recognition. Her eyes went wide open, her mouth agape. "Ren!!!" She exclaimed in surprise and disbelief. It was her friend who was furiously making out with a guy on the couch. 

"Huh? What? Where?" Monique jumped back, startled. She turned to see Ruby stomping off toward the couple on the corner. She quickly followed her friend. 

"Ren, what the _hell _are you doing?" Ruby asked as soon as she got there. She stared at them in utter disbelief. 

Upon hearing her voice, Will, who was about to lift Ren, immediately broke their kiss and let go. He turned breathlessly at the two women standing beside them. "Hi ladies," he greeted them with uncertainty. He cursed to himself. Damn that Kyle! He couldn't even do one lousy favor for him.

"Would you please get off my friend?!" Ruby asked, looking at him pointedly. She noticed that he was still on top of her.

He willingly obliged, backing up a few feet from Ren. Will quickly wiped some lipstick on his face with his hands. 

"Hey Ruby, I didn't see you there," Ren greeted her in drunken stupor. 

"Oh my god, oh my god," Monique exclaimed, shaking her head. She stared her friend, eyes as big as saucers. "Oh my GOD!" she repeated once more with emphasis.        

Ren shifted her gaze from Ruby to Monique. "Monique, I didn't know you were with Ruby." She smiled at her. "That's a pretty nice dress, by the way."

Incredulity registered in her friends' faces. Ren's face was bright red, no doubt indicating her drunken state. 

"We've been looking all over for you!" Ruby took a seat beside her. "Come on, we need to get going. We're going home already." She grabbed Ren's right shoulder and tried to sit her up. She motioned Monique to do the same thing on the other side.  

"But the party's not over yet." she reasoned. "How 'bout we stay for a little while?" She smiled goofily at her friends.

"Actually honey, it just wrapped up minutes ago." Monique told her. "Yup, everyone's on their way home now." 

"Oh, okay."

They each put Ren's arms around them, supporting her as they stood up. 

Ruby turned to glare Will, who was trying hard to fix himself up. She looked at him with disgust as she saw his unbuttoned shirt and unbuckled belt. "We're going," she told him icily. Without another word, they left. 

Will took a seat on the couch as soon as they were gone. "Damn it!" He punched the seat beside him in anger and frustration. He was actually _thisclose_, if only her meddling friends hadn't arrived. He rubbed his fists together. If they think this is over, well they couldn't be more wrong.

********************

"What were you actually thinking, Ren?" Ruby asked as the three friends stumbled into the parking lot. "I mean, you barely even know the guy!"

"Ruby, would you please take a look at her. I don't think she can actually answer that question." Monique whispered. They headed for the car.

Ren laughed at her two friends. "What?" she asked innocently. "The two of us were just hanging out."

Ruby leaned her friend on the car as she dug her purse for the keys. "Hanging out? _Hanging_ out?! You two were _making_ out!" She furiously jammed the keys and opened the door.

"Ren, are you alright?" Monique suddenly asked.

Ruby quickly looked up to see Ren bent over in the side of the car, heaving. Concern etched on her face. She rushed over to her friend, couldn't help but feeling guilty. 

"Ren?" Monique asked again.

"Sweetie, don't scare us. What's wrong?" she glanced at Monique. She too was looking anxiously at Ren.

"I don't feel too good," Ren said in a small voice. Without warning, she threw up on the sidewalk. Both of her friends reached out to support her. A few minutes passed by before she finished throwing up. She coughed hard a couple of times, breathing heavily.

Monique grabbed her own purse and dug out some tissues. "Here you go." She handed it out.    

"Can we go home now? I think I'm feeling a little lightheaded." Ren said weakly.

Ruby opened the door. Together with Monique, they gently propped her on the backseat. She took the driver seat as Monique hopped on the front seat. She turned on the ignition.

She adjusted her rearview mirror and saw Ren, passed out on the backseat. "This is not good. Nope, not good at all."

"How many glasses of that tequila had she taken, anyway?"

"I don't know. We weren't actually together at the party. Kyle had invited me to hang out. That was before I realized that he was such a total jerk." She banged her head a couple of times on the steering wheel. "I am so dead." 

"What do you mean?" She held out her hand to stop Ruby from banging her head. "Wait, stop. You still need to drive this thing home." She reminded her.  

She sighed heavily as she started to drive the car. "What if her parents found out about this? They don't know Ren's been at a party. She told them she was going to be on my house, doing some project." They turn right on the highway.

Monique grimaced. "Oh, that's going to be tough."  

"_Yeah_," she exclaimed. "How am I going to explain this to them? _I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, but Ren and I got bored doing the project so we decided to attend Will Coulson's party. Oh, by the way, Ren got drunk!_" She rubbed her forehead."Great, that'll get both of us in deep trouble."

"What about Louis?" Monique suggested, her face lighting up.

"So, what about him?" 

"Well, he's got to know about this party, right? I mean, everybody at school knows about it. There's a pretty good chance Ren got him to cover for her."

"I don't know… Ren said she'd ask him to walk her to my place tonight, but I never got to see him, though."

"If that's the case, then he's definitely got her covered. He wouldn't rat out his sister, would he?"

Silence passed as Ruby thought for a moment. Under any circumstances, she would have said yes, but somehow, something was different in Louis now. She noticed that, not long ago. This could be their only chance. "You know, you may actually be right." She signaled right as they arrive on their neighborhood. "Assuming, of course, that her parents hadn't already found out about it."

**********************

Yay! Go Ruby and Monique! lol. By the way, don't forget to write a review. ^_^            


	16. Getting home

**Chapter 16: Getting home**

_What is that?_ Louis stirred on the couch. A faint sound was coming from the outside. He listened more closely. It sounded like something scratching… _Coming from the front door! _Still half asleep, the first thing that came to his mind was a robber. _Someone's trying to get in! _Should he call his dad? Maybe he should dial 911! _Wait, what if he's got a gun?_ His heart was pounding fast. He stood up and noticed that he has been sleeping on the couch. _What am I doing here in the first place?_ He rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. "How can I forget?" he mumbled to himself, slapping his forehead.

He quickly strode over to the door and opened it wide. Louis was quite surprised when Ruby came stumbling forward. 

"Louis!" she hissed. "Don't _ever_ scare me like that!" She was still holding the key.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, ignoring her comment. He noticed that she was white as sheet. 

"I thought you were your parents." She put her hand on her chest. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Me?! _You_ almost gave me one! I thought there you were a robber, or something." He remembered his sister. "Hey by the way, where is Ren? Do you know what time it is? It's-" He stopped abruptly to glance on the wall clock. "Almost one in the morning!" He stepped outside and looked around. "Well, where is she?"

Ruby bit her lower lip. "Uh-Ren's in the backseat." She headed for the car, followed closely by Louis.

When they arrived, Monique was standing by the open car door. "Hey, Louis," she meekly greeted him. 

"Okay, what is going on here?" He looked back and forth from Ruby to Monique, who exchanged nervous glances. Monique stepped aside.

In one swift step, he was standing in front of the open door. He slowly peered inside and saw his sister slumped on the car seat. "Hey Ren, wake up. You're home now." Louis lightly tapped her on the shoulder, but no response came. "Hey c'mon, let's go so you can sleep on your bed already." He leaned in closer and shook her gently. "Ren?" His face quickly contorted as he smelled her, reeking from alcohol. He stuck his head out. "Ruby, what the hell happened on that party?" 

She backed a step as she saw Louis' furious glance. "Uh, well, Ren had a drink too many."

"WHAT?!"

Monique hushed her. "Louis, could you be any louder? You're going to wake the whole neighborhood up!" she hissed.

"_What?!" he repeated, this time lowering his voice to a whisper. "Ruby, my sister is passed out on your car and you're telling me she's just had a drink too many?!"_

"Shhhhh!"

"You know, last I remembered, she was perfectly okay when I left her at your house a few hours ago. She wasn't, oh I don't know, DEAD DRUNK!"

Ruby held out her hand. "Okay, before you start blaming me, would you please figure out first how we are going to get her to her bed before any of your parents sees us? Our butt is on the line too." 

This seemed to have knocked some sense into him. "Right, right." Louis paced back and forth. He suddenly snapped his fingers. "Okay, this is how it's going to be: Monique, you're going to help me carry Ren. Ruby, you walk on ahead of us and make sure the path is clear. When you get upstairs, make sure her bed is ready so we won't have any problems. Got it?"

The two girls nodded in response.

"Oh, and you'll need to take your shoes off."

"Why?" They asked in unison.

"Are you crazy? We need to do this as quietly as possible. You're high-heeled shoes will definitely not be helping." He pointed out.

Ruby and Monique simultaneously took it off without further question and tossed it inside the car.

"Louis, what are we going to do if your parents suddenly wake up and spot us?" Monique suddenly asked. Ruby and Louis both turned to look at her. Well, someone had to ask the question. 

Louis stopped and thought about it for a minute. "Don't worry, I got it all figured out." Louis looked seriously at Ruby. "Since you'll be the advance party, you need to listen carefully." 

She nodded her head vigorously and turned her full attention to him.

"Check first if they are fast asleep, ok? But if they're not, I want you to run back here, grab your keys, and then dash to the car with us." A grave expression was plastered on his face. "We're all going to head to Mexico."

Monique and Ruby stared at him blankly. They obviously didn't get his point.

Louis gave the two of them a strange look. "What? The four of us are as good as dead if my parents spotted us."  

Ruby suddenly became a few shades paler. "That's not funny, Louis." Now's definitely not the time to tell jokes, especially the ones that are tasteless as that one.

"Who said I was kidding?" He deadpanned.

She gave him an apprehensive look before entering the house.

Louis turned back his attention to Ren. "Okay, on three. One, two, three." He hoisted her sister up, his arms supporting her torso. Monique, on the other hand, supported her legs. 

They carefully entered the house, with Ruby waiting for them inside. "Okay Ruby, get her bed ready, quickly! Ren's not exactly very lightweight, you know." He whispered. 

She did as instructed, quietly dashing upstairs. 

"Okay, okay," he said as they made their way to the stairs. "Monique, you go first." He quickly changed his mind. "No wait, that'll be harder for me that way. I'll go first." He maneuvered around so that he could go up first, banging Ren's head on the banister, in the process. "Oops! Hey, I'm sorry Ren, but I'm really trying my best here." He looked at her sincerely.

Monique face broke into a grimace. "That's really going to hurt in the morning." 

"Yeah, I'll get the ice packs ready." They continued their way up the stairs, still making little sound as possible. "Where's Donnie when you need him?" he muttered. Sweat was starting to trickle down on his back. He never knew that covering up for Ren would actually require a lot of physical work from him. 

They finally reached her room. "Quick, set her down," Ruby motioned to the bed. 

Louis grunted as he propped her on the bed. He breathed heavily as he watched Ruby tuck Ren in.

"I guess we better get going. My mom's definitely getting worried." Ruby stated.

Monique agreed. "Yeah, me too. Can you still drop me off?"

"Yeah sure. No problem," she answered with a nod. They were almost through the door when Louis suddenly called out.

"Wait, you need to change her! You can't just let her sleep wearing that. What if mom comes in this morning and sees that?"

They both turned around and gave him a funny look.

"What? I can't _change_ her." He crossed his arms on his chest. "She's my sister, for crying out loud! I can't see her… like that." The thought sent shivers to his spine. "Uggh! No, nuh-uh." He paused for a moment and cleared his throat. "Of course, I'm not saying I don't want to see _some_ in the future, hopefully I would but-"

"Okay Louis, we get your point." Monique hastily interrupted him. 

Ruby sighed as she gestured him to go outside. Louis obediently did as he was told, closing the door behind him. A few minutes later, the two friends emerged.

"Here," Ruby said, handing him Ren's dress. "You better stash it before your mom sees it. That thing's reeking from alcohol."

Louis took the dress. "Thanks. I really appreciate your help."

She looked at her watch. "We really gotta get going now."  

"I'll walk you to the door." He said with a grateful smile.

Louis quietly closed the front door behind him, greatly relieved. He yawned as he trudged silently upstairs. All he wanted to do now was to fall asleep in his nice, old bed. He slipped quietly into Ren's room, and stared at her sleeping form. "This needs to stop, Ren." He whispered, shaking his head. "This definitely needs to stop. I'm sorry but I don't think I can do this thing any longer. Hate me all you want, but I'm not going to be part of these things any more." He gently closed the door behind him. "I'll see you tomorrow."

****************    

Thank you to everyone who gave their reviews! You guys have really been great. Thanks agan!!!  


	17. Admission of guilt

**Chapter 17: Admission of guilt**

Ren awakened to the dizzying motion of the ship.

Or at least she thought she did. Everything around her seemed to be bobbing up and down. Funny, she doesn't remember ever boarding a ship, not that she has a reason to. And everything looked too real for this to be a dream.

She blinked hard a few times, waiting for her eyes to focus. It took a moment before she finally realized that she was lying in her bed, in her own room. She tried to sit up but fell back down, wincing. Blood was furiously pounding in her ears. It felt like a jackhammer was stuck inside her head. She tried again, this time supporting her weight with both her arms.

A small knock sounded on her door. She turned around to see Louis standing outside with a tray on hand.

"How you feeling?" He placed the tray on her table.

Ren groaned in response. "Terrible," she said in a raspy voice. "Feels like someone's drilling a hole in my head."

"Yeah, well that's called a hangover. Too much alcohol can do that to you." He turned to look at her. "I brought you your breakfast."

"Thanks Louis," she answered weakly. "What time is it, anyway?"

"A couple of minutes passed nine." Louis took the bottle of aspirin from the tray, along with a bottle of water. "Here, I'm sure you're going to need this more." He handed it both to her.

She gratefully took it and quickly swallowed one. "Uh, where are mom and dad?"

"Mom had a meeting early this morning, and dad went out to finish something at his office. I think they have a big case going on. I told them not to bother you because you were really tired last night." He turned back to the tray and took the ice pack. "By the way, here's something for that head lump of yours." 

She looked at him quizzically. "What lump?" Ren's hand automatically went up to feel her head. "Ow!"

"That lump." Louis immediately placed it on top of her head. 

She looked at him, rather confused. "How did I get here, anyway? And where did I get this lump? I don't remember bumping my head last night." She held the ice pack firmly on top of her head. Truth be told, she doesn't remember anything that happened at all, period.

"Actually, that was my fault. I accidentally bumped your head on my way to your room." He looked at her grimly. "You know, while Monique and I were moving you up the stairs, because you were out, drunk."

She heaved a sigh. "Listen, Lou, about last night. I-"

"No, listen here, Ren." Louis stared at her, dead serious. He could barely contain his emotions. Without realizing it, everything just seemed to spill out of his mouth.  "I don't want to do this any more. Whatever your next plans are, please leave me out if it. Another party, or a piercing, or a tattoo, or whatever, I don't care. Just leave me out, okay? I can't cover for you any longer." He looked angrily at her. "I don't want to be part of something that I know will cause nothing but trouble for my sister. I'm not going to lie to mom and dad the next time they ask."

She looked at her, dumbfounded. "Louis, what are you so upset about? It's not liked I forced you to help me."

His voice gradually rose. "What I'm upset about is you coming home last night reeking from alcohol. You were flat out unconscious from all that drinking! Ruby and Monique had to practically drag you to their car to get you home." Louis was crossed his arms across his chest. "What's happened to you, Ren? You've never drink alcohol before. What's changed now, huh? Tell me, what's changed now?! What happened to that smart and sensible sister I had? 'Coz quite frankly, I liked her more. I like her a hundred times more than the wild and reckless one I have right now!" Louis stared straight at her, his eyes piercing. "I want my old sister back." 

Ren just sat there silently, appalled at his sudden outburst.

He breathed heavily as he tried to calm himself down. "Better eat your breakfast before it gets cold." He stormed out and left without further saying a word.

************************

"Louis, what are you doing here?" Tawny asked. She was surprised to see him standing by her front door.

"Hey Tawny, can I come in?" Without waiting for her answer, he barged inside.

She looked at him curiously. "Uh-yeah, sure," she replied as she watch her Louis let himself in. "I thought we weren't supposed to work on that chemistry project until this afternoon?"

"I just told Ren that I hate her." He suddenly blurted out. Louis headed straight for the sofa and took a seat.

"What?" She took a seat directly across him.

"This morning, we had a fight, and I basically told her that I hated her."  He corrected himself. "It wasn't a fight, really. It was more of me shouting at her."

"Okay Louis, stop." She held up her hand. "Slow down and start from the beginning."

"Last night, Ren came home, dead drunk, from Will Coulson's party. Ruby and Monique brought her home, and we all had to carry her up the stairs to get her to her room." He took a deep breath. "I had to make all sorts of lies to cover her from mom and dad."

"Ren came home, drunk?" She repeated in disbelief. Was she hearing him correctly?

"Yeah, and this morning when I came to bring her breakfast, I just snapped and I started shouting at her." He sighed. "I didn't actually tell her I hate her, but I did told her some things that… well, practically means the same thing." 

"How did she react?" Tawny asked tentatively.

"I think she was still pretty much out of it to react; definitely from the hangover. But I'm not sure. I walked off before she could answer me." Louis rubbed his head in frustration. "Of course, I really don't hate her; she's my sister. It's just that, I don't understand her. She's been acting weird these past few days. Ever since that car accident." He dropped his voice when he spoke the last statement.

"Louis, to tell you the truth, she wasn't the only one." Tawny thought for a moment before continuing. "Ever since that incident, you've been acting… differently yourself. And it doesn't take a genius to know that something is definitely up." She took up the courage and ask him the question she's been meaning to ask for a long time. "What really happened that day, Louis?" 

Louis looked at her hesitantly. He never told anyone exactly what happened. That's because he wasn't sure he was ready to admit his guilt. He looked at Tawny's reassuring eyes, and finally decided that it's time to tell the whole story.

"It was me driving that day," he started weakly. "We were supposed to go home, but instead I decided to pass by the beach. We were cruising on the highway, and she kept on insisting that we turn back. I was too busy goofing around to pay attention to her. I just kept on speeding down the road. It was almost too late when I realized what she was telling me." He cleared his throat. "A truck suddenly appeared in front of us as we approached a sharp curve. I barely avoided it, which sent the car spinning around. When I came to, the car had apparently hit this huge tree." His voice started to quiver. "And then I saw Ren beside me, covered in blood. Everywhere I looked, there was blood. She wasn't moving, and I-I just thought she wasn't going to make it." Tears were starting to form in his eyes. "When I saw them trying to revive her in the hospital, I kept telling myself that this wouldn't have happened if I just took her seriously."

Tawny just sat there, unsure on how to react. This wasn't the story she was expecting to hear. She hasn't seen him this emotional before.

"I almost killed my sister because I never took things seriously, and I don't want to commit the same mistake twice." Louis smiled at her wryly, still misty eyed. "I swore to myself I would never let it happen again." He took a deep breath. A long time has passed since the accident, but he has still been holding everything inside. Now that he'd gotten it off his chest, he seemed to feel a lot better now. 

Tawny didn't say a word. Instead, she gave him a big huge as she finally understood everything. It was a hug that meant more than a thousand words of comfort.

"Louis," she finally said, "I think you should talk to your sister about this." Tawny let him go. He wiped his eyes, flushing pink with embarrassment.

He gave her a dry laugh. "Yeah, that's a great idea," he replied in a sarcastic tone. "Like she would really want to talk to me after everything that I told her. She probably hates me right now." 

"Hey, I understand what you're going through." She gave him a meaningful look. "That car accident was traumatizing for you, that's why you changed. But have you ever thought about how that accident affected Ren?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" He was looking at her as if she has just grown another head. "Tawny, she had broken bones all over. That's how it affected her."

"No Louis," she tried to explain patiently. "You said it yourself, Ren had almost died. Don't you think that would affect her, emotionally?" She paused to let the gravity of the situation sink in. "Ren was probably traumatized by the accident, just like you. Maybe even more so."

"But it didn't," he reasoned out, "I mean she never showed it." He tried hard to recall the past few weeks. Nope, she never showed anything at all. In fact, she seemed to have bounced right back from it.

"People react differently, Louis." Tawny stood up and took a seat beside him. "There's a pretty good chance that's the reason why she's been acting… strange lately. And that's why you need to talk to her. You need to sort this thing out between the two of you. You know, bring some closure."

Louis pondered on Tawny's words for a few seconds. He nodded slowly. "I guess you're right," he finally conceded. I should apologize to her." He covered his face in shame and, leaning back on the sofa. "God, I don't believe what a total jerk I've been." 

"That's okay, Louis. We're allowed to act like jerks every once in a while."

Louis glanced at her. "What would I do without you, Tawny?"

Tawny smiled at him. "That's what friends are for, right?" 

"I guess I better get going." Louis stood up. "I need to talk to Ren. That is, if she'd still be willing to talk to me."

********************

As Wes entered a diner, he saw his friend sitting at one corner, alone at his booth. He quickly approached him. "Alright man, put it up here!" Wes raised his hand to Will for a high five. 

Will ignored him and stared furiously at his coke. 

His smile slightly faltered as he lowered his hand. "What's wrong, man? You look like you've just lost a million dollars." He slid on the seat across him. Wes grinned widely at him and lowered his voice. "Hell, I wouldn't look like that after I nailed – "

"That's the problem," he angrily interrupted. "I didn't."

Wes gave him a skeptical look. "What do you mean you didn't?" He laughed in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

Will just stared blankly at him.

"Tell me you're kidding."

Still no response. Will looked as if he's ready to pounce on him anytime.

"I saw you two last night, and it looked to me like you were pretty much headed for that direction."

"Yeah, if only her meddlesome friends hadn't seen us. That stupid Kyle," he muttered. Will glanced up and slammed his fist on the table. "All I asked him was to keep her friend busy the whole night. How hard could that be, huh?"

"Apparently, hard enough for him," Wes replied with a chuckle. 

Will turned to scowl at him. "How about I knock that smile off your face?"

"Right, I'm sorry. I was just trying to lighten up the mood."  Wes leaned closer, suddenly growing serious. "Look, I don't mean to put pressure on you, but both of us have something on the line here." He lowered his voice. "I joined that bet with you because I had great confidence on your abilities, man. Now, tomorrow's the deadline, and I don't know about you, but I don't want to lose my car to Gary."

"And do you think I want to lose my car to that jerk too?!" He retorted.

Wes looked at him expectantly. "So what are you going to do about it?"

Will grew quiet as he thought of a plan. "Well, I still have the whole day, don't I?" He gave his friend a devilish grin. "You'll see. Will Coulson doesn't back down on a bet. We'll win that bet, no matter what it takes."

Unbeknownst to them, Alan Twitty was just in the next booth, with a plate of half eaten burger and fries on the table. _Isn't this the guy I've been seeing with Ren these past few days?!_

Trying to avoid detection, he slightly cowered in his seat. Twitty swallowed hard. Something about their conversation made his skin crawl. Whatever it was, it just didn't felt right. He's got to tell this to Louis.  

********************


	18. Last minute warning

**Chapter 18: Last minute warning**

Ren forced herself off the bed. The breakfast that Louis brought her still lay on the table, untouched. She lumbered toward the bathroom. Literally, she had to literally take a cold shower to clear her mind from the haze. Not to mention to rid herself the smell of last night's merrymaking. She closed her eyes, trying to remember everything that happened the night before. Well, she remembered that first drink, as well as the dancing, but after that…her mind just seemed to black out. 

The bath was refreshing but it certainly did not clear everything up, as she hoped it would. She sighed as she made her way back to her room. Louis' words were still ringing clear in her head. Why was he so upset about? It couldn't have _that_ bad, could it? The sound of her phone pulled her from her thoughts.  

She picked it up. "Hello?"

"Hey Ren, it's me," a male voice answered on the other end.

"Will?" she asked, surprised to hear his voice. 

"Yeah," Will replied uncertainly. "Listen, I just want to apologize for what happened last night. You left hurriedly with your friends, so I didn't have the chance to."

Ren took a seat on the foot of her bed. "Wait," she interrupted, "I know this is a stupid question… but, what happened last night?" Ren laughed sheepishly. "I really can't seem to remember… exactly what happened."

There was a long pause on the other end.

"Will, are you still there?" 

"Yeah, I'm still here," Will quickly spoke up. "Well last night, you know, we had a couple of drinks and your friends… your friends kinda got mad at me for that."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "They were?" 

"Uh huh," he answered too hastily. "That's why I wanted to apologize and I was hoping I could do it personally." Will paused for a second. "…Say at that café down at Hudson?"

"The one near the beach?" 

Will must have sensed the trepidation in her voice. "Please?"

Ren sighed. "Well, okay I guess." There's really no harm in that, is there?

He could barely contain his delight. "Great!" Will replied a little too enthusiastically. "I'll meet you there at two."

"Okay."

"Alright, see you." he quickly hung up. 

Ren clicked the phone off and stared at it for a moment. Something was not right, and she could feel it. She just wasn't sure what it was.

All of a sudden, the phone began ringing again. Caught off guard, she jerked in surprise, almost dropping it. 

"Hello?" she answered again.

"Hey, sounds like you're okay now. No more hangover?"      

This time, she recognized the female voice on the other line.

"Hi Ruby," Ren replied. "Yes, I'm fine now." She lightly massaged her head. "Just a little headache, that's all."

"That's good to hear. I was afraid that the alcohol might have burned your brain or something, permanently."

"Yeah," she answered with an embarrassed smile. "By the way, Louis kind of mentioned earlier that you and Monique brought me home last night. And, well, thanks."

On the other end, Ruby laughed in response. "Ren, I would do anything, _anything_, just to get you away from there, specifically away from Will. Speaking of which, could you please remind not to sock him in public every time he gets within ten feet of you?"

Ren shifted her phone to her other ear, unsure of what she's just heard. "Wait Ruby, why would you want to hit him?" Her friend could not be _that_ angry with him. The only thing that guy did was give Ren a couple of drinks.

"Are you serious?! Don't you remember what happened last night?" Ruby asked exasperatedly. "He was taking advantage of you!" 

She cringed at her friend's voice. Ren tried to recall what happened, but her mind would just not cooperate. "Ruby, I'm think you're exaggerating. Will is a nice guy." Well he seemed to be, at least.

"I saw it with my own two eyes. He knew you were drunk, that's why he took you to that corner. _You two were practically groping each other in there for the entire world to see_!"

Ren lifted the phone a couple of inches from her ear as her friend shouted every word. 

Ruby continued on. "Just ask Monique. We both saw him _pinning_ you to the couch. Who knows what he might have done if we haven't arrived and stopped." She paused when no sound came from the other line. "Ren, are you listening to me?" 

"Yes, I'm listening," she replied quietly. Her headache was surprisingly getting worse. 

"Seriously, you better steer clear from him. That guy is nothing but _trouble._"

Ren considered her warning for a second. Ruby has been her friend for a long time now. She wouldn't say these kinds of things if she didn't mean it. "Thanks for the warning, Ruby," she said gloomily, "but you were just a phone call too late."

"What do you mean? Oh no, don't tell me-"

"I already agreed to meet him this afternoon," she told her meekly. Before Ruby could react, she quickly tried to explain herself. "He just called me before you did and asked me to meet him on a café near the beach. Look, I'm sorry but I really didn't know!"

There was a pause on the other end. "Don't tell me you're going to. Please, do _not_ tell me that!"

"No, of course not," Ren quickly answered. "…Not after what you told me." She stood from her bed and walked over to her drawer. "I'll just give him a call and explain," she said as she rummaged for her wallet. "Listen, I've got to dash to the store to get something, I'll give you a call a little later, okay?"

"You better," Ruby replied and hung up.

Ren took a deep breath as she grabbed her wallet. Her headache has just suddenly gone from bad to worse. Grabbing her purse, she ran downstairs.

She closed the door as she got out of their house. Ren grumbled in frustration as she realized something. All this time she had been accepting rides from other people. But her parents have yet to allow her back behind the wheel. Which meant that she has to walk a few good blocks from their house to the store. The sweltering heat of the sun was not helping at all.

Glancing around, Ren made her way to the store. Louis was still nowhere in sight. She wasn't really sure whether that was a good sign or not. 

Finally giving up, she hurried her pace. He made it clear a few hours ago that he didn't want to do anything with her. What makes her think he's actually going to show up?

*****************

Louis slammed the front door shut. "Ren?" Eerie silence greeted him. He dashed to the living room, hoping to find her there. "Hey Ren, you here?" Again, no one was there. Immediately he ran upstairs and headed to her room.

"Hey Ren, about this morning," Assuming she was still in bed, he started to explain.  "I really didn't mean those things… well, not exactly. You see-" Louis stopped in midsentence as soon as he entered the room. Ren's room was completely empty. He noticed the untouched food and sighed. Looks like her sister's mad at her, after all. Well, what would he expect? He wouldn't exactly be eager to talk to her if Ren told him the same things that he did.

Taking a seat on her bed, he wondered aloud. "Where could she be?" 

*****************

She walked hurriedly toward the store, trying to get away from the heat of the scorching sun. A blast of cold air hit her as soon as she entered the store. The sudden change in temperature made her cringe. Her head started to pound again. 

There weren't many people around; just a woman by the magazine stand, and a couple of kids picking up some chips.    

Ren rubbed her forehead as she looked around. Her headache was getting worse by the minute. 

She stopped in front of a shelf and found what she was looking for. One by one, she picked everything up, examining every bottle of medicine in front of her. Finally, she grabbed a bottle of Tylenol and walked over to the cashier.

Someone by the counter made her stop dead at her tracks. It was no other than Will, who had just made a purchase. Great… The last person she needed to see was standing ten feet away from her. It was official then: the whole world is conspiring to make this day as miserable for her as possible.

Unsure of how to approach, Ren just stood there for a moment. She tried to get a glimpse of what he's just bought. 

Just as Will turned around, she saw him tuck something in his back pocket - something small. 

He looked just as surprised when he turned around and noticed her. Well, well, well… Talk about timing. A smile slowly spread on his face.

******************


	19. Ren's mistake

**Chapter 19: Ren's mistake**

"Ren!" Will greeted her warmly. "Just the person I wanted to see." He strode over to her. But not before making sure that the small package was tucked deep inside his pocket.

She gave him a feeble smile. "Hey, I didn't expect to see you here." Ren greeted him lamely. 

"I was just on my way to your house. You know, I thought maybe I could pick you up." He stood right in front of her. "I'm glad I caught you here."

Ren could not help but feel a little nervous at Will's imposing figure. 

"My car's outside. We could drive to that café as soon as you pay for that…" He took a quick glance on what she was holding. "…bottle of Tylenol," Will said with a slight laugh. "Or hey, maybe I could pay that for you." He reached for it.

Quickly, she raised her hand out of his grasp. "No, that's okay. I can pay for it." 

Will shrugged in response.

Ren paused for a bit as she tried to gather her courage. "About this afternoon, I don't think I can make it." _Ever. _That one failed to escape her lips.

In an instant, Will's smile was completely gone. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"Actually, yeah. Ruby had told me what happened last night. And I don't think it's a good idea for us to go to that café."

Will took a step forward. "Listen, I know last night was a mistake. We both had a couple of drinks. Come on, please give me another chance." He begged her. 

"I don't think so, Will." She felt the urge to back away, but decided otherwise. Ren finally cut to the chase. "Look, I'm sorry, but I don't really feel comfortable going out with you anymore." _In fact, I don't think we can be friends at all,  or Ruby would kill me._ That one failed to come out, either. 

For a split second, a look of angered registered on his face. It was gone just as fast.

Ren's instinct kicked into high gear, and backed away two steps. The look she saw on his face just now frightened her. "I-I'm really sorry." 

Will's face hardened, and didn't say a word. Instead he just stood there, unmoving.

Gauging from his reaction, she could tell he wasn't very happy about it. "I really need to go." His silence unnerved her. "I'll see you around school, then."

It was Will who made the first move. Before Ren could step aside, he turned around and stormed out.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched him disappear through the door. Their encounter greatly unsettle her, especially Will's reaction. It took a few seconds before she recovered herself. She tried hard to shake off the horrible feeling.

Ren approached the cashier, trying to forget their exchange. The old woman behind counter didn't even seem to notice the whole incident. She smiled warmly at Ren as she handed out the change and her package. 

The scene kept playing in her head as she stood there. The sudden look of anger, the unnerving silence… It wasn't the response she expected – which made her even more worried. 

As soon as she stepped out, paranoia had quickly sunk in. She furiously scanned the area. There was no sign of Will anywhere. Even the parking lot was empty. She started her walk back home. 

Ren hasn't even gone ten feet from the store when she found a very familiar car blocking her way. Her heart started to race. It was Will behind the wheels. Glancing around, she tried to look for another route.

The alley beside the store – now that looked like a good route. Maybe she could lose him there. She might even cut off a few minutes from her travel.

Of course she couldn't discount the possibility that everything was part of her crazed imagination. Maybe, just maybe, Will was not really after her. But, that being said, she was not about to take her chances.

She started for the alley, clutching her small package tighter.  Even if he followed her here, he wouldn't dare lay a finger on her. Not in full view of other people.

Her blood ran cold with realization. _How could you be so stupid?!_ She asked herself. One, this alley was leading to a dead end. And two, if the need arises – which looked like it would – there wasn't any soul around the place to hear her scream.

Ren's gradual steps soon became hurried. Behind her, a low rumble of an engine emanated. Her heart caught in her throat as she dared and turn around.  

Will had emerged from the car, and was slowly making his way towards her. There was no other way out. Between her and freedom, Will and his car stood in the way.

"Listen Will," she stammered, "this is definitely not funny. Please stop." Losing her head would not be a great thing to do right now. Not if she wanted to escape him.

He just continued on walking towards her, ignoring her pleading. Will had devious smirk on his face.

Ren continued to act calm. "Cut it out, Will!" Her voice, however, betrayed her true emotions.

She broke into a cold sweat as she slowly backed away. Without noticing it, Will already had her back square on a wall. 

"No, please, don't do this." Ren begged him as her hands grasp the solid wall behind her. As much as she wanted to fight back, the guy was a head taller that her – a definite disadvantage.

"Do what?" Will asked with a smirk. "I haven't done anything… yet." 

His menacing tone sent chills down her spine. 

She watched as he moved closer. Ren's mind raced as she thought of a plan. A huge knot had formed inside her stomach. She wanted to kick herself for giving him the opportunity to corner her in this alley. This was what he probably wanted to do in the first place.   

Will stopped a few feet away from him. As long as there is distance between them, she figured she might still have the chance to get away. 

_Okay, calm down and think, Stevens!_ Ren took a deep breath. The timing must be perfect. Mustering any courage she's got, Ren looked up and glared at him.

The smirk was still plastered on his face. He shifted his weight from one foot to another, and opened his mouth to speak.

Ren saw this as the perfect opportunity. With all her might, she propelled herself against the wall. She came charging towards Will, who was caught in surprise.

He grunted as Ren's shoulder planted itself on his chest. 

For a second, she thought she was home free. Unfortunately, Ren couldn't be more wrong. The momentum was not enough to knock Will off his feet, as she had hoped for. He had just staggered backwards from the impact. But she couldn't care less about that right now. Without sparing a second, she tried to run past Will. 

However, Will was quick to recover from the diversion. Just as Ren passed by, he quickly grabbed her by the wrists.

Ren shrieked in pain. Will was gripping her hard, almost cutting off the circulation in her hand. 

"You bitch," he angrily exclaimed. Gone was the cocky smirk he had a while ago. Instead, Will was looking as pissed as ever.

She never saw what was coming next. In one swift move, he had planted his fist deep into her abdomen.

That stopped her dead on her tracts. The small package she was holding suddenly dropped to the ground. It seemed like a whole galaxy of stars exploded in her face. Her knees started to buckle.

The punch had knocked the air out of her lungs. She went pallid as she reeled from the blow, gasping for air. 

In a futile attempt, Ren tried to fight back the darkness that was threatening to consume her vision. The last thing she saw was Will's satisfied sneer, before finally drifting off into unconsciousness. 

****************

Twitty paddled his bike like he has never paddled it before.

_Where did he say he was going?! _He thought hard. The first thing he did as soon as he got out of that diner was to find a pay phone and called his friend. Twitty had dialed a couple of times before giving up. Each time, he got the answering machine. No one was there to pick up the phone. 

He took a quick glance at his watch. It was a few minutes passed one in the afternoon. 

_Tawny!_ Without slowing down, Twitty took a quick turn and headed for the familiar neighborhood. A few more minutes of pedaling and he finally reached Tawny's house.

He jumped off his bike, literally, and tossed it on the lawn. In a few great strides, he was on the front door, ringing the doorbell and knocking furiously at the same time. 

Come on, open up," he nervously muttered. 

The door suddenly opened wide, with Tawny standing in front of him, looking very much annoyed. "Twitty, you could just break down the door if you really want to come in, you know." she said sarcastically. 

Without waiting for her to invite him in, he hurriedly barged inside. "Where's Louis?" he asked. Twitty frantically looked around the house. "Hey Lou, come on, I need to tell you something!" he shouted.

Tawny slammed the door shut and looked at him weirdly. "Twitty, Louis doesn't live here. _I _do, remember? This is the Deans' residence, not the Stevens'."

Twitty ignored her cynical comment and turned towards her. What do you mean he's not here? Aren't you supposed to be working on some project today?!"

"Yeah, but he went home. He and Ren were having some problems so I advised him to go home and talk to her instead." She gave a shrug. "The project can wait."

"But I called his house, and no one was answering."

"Well, you just missed him. He left a couple of minutes ago."

"Damn!" Twitty angrily explained. "I need to catch him. I'll see you later." His expression was now panic-stricken.

Before he could get to the door, Tawny grabbed him by the wrists. "Wait, would you please calm down and tell me what is going on? You're scaring me."  

"It's a long story, but it involves Will, and quite possibly, Ren. And I don't think it's got a pretty ending to it. That's why I need to hurry and find Louis." Twitty dashed outside without waiting for Tawny's response. 

"What do you mean 'quite possibly Ren'? Will and Ren are involved in what?" She stood by the door, arms crossed.

He held out her hand to shut her up. "I really don't have time for this right now, Tawny. I really need to find Louis and warn him. Ren might be in trouble." He said, picking up his bike.

She just stood there for a moment, her mouth agape. "Wait, Twitty! I'm coming with you."

Twitty stopped short  before turning towards her. "You don't happen to have your dad's car keys, do you?"

********************* 


	20. Relentless Pursuit

**Chapter 20: Relentless pursuit**

Twitty and Tawny arrived at the Stevens' residence aboard the car they 'borrowed' from Dr. Dean. As soon as they arrived, Twitty frantically sounded the horn. Tawny, on the other hand, bolted out of the car and rang the doorbell.

Louis, who had been deep in thought, jumped a few good feet off the bed as soon as he heard the ruckus. 

"What the hell," he muttered, sticking his head out of the window. Noticing the unfamiliar car, he called out to the driver. "Hey, what wrong with you, man?" A look of irritation was etched on his face.

Upon hearing his voice, Tawny backed away from the door a few steps and turned up her head to look. "Louis!"

He was very much surprised when he saw who it was. "Hey Tawny, what are you doing? Why are you making all these commotion?" Louis turned his head in time to see Twitty alighting from the car.

"Louis, would you just come down here." Twitty shouted. "I really need to tell you something, fast! It's really important." 

He knew better than to ask questions when he saw the grave expression on both his friends' faces. 

Outside, the two friends could hear the loud thud of footsteps as Louis bounded down the stairs. Within seconds, the front door burst wide open. Louis came stumbling out of the door and into the lawn.

"Okay, what's the big emergency?" Louis asked, slightly panting. 

"Is your sister home?" Twitty suddenly asked.

"What?" He looked at him, suddenly confused. From the looks on their faces, he assumed that there was an accident or emergency of some sort. Why, then, was his friend asking about his sister?

"Dude, Ren, your sister, where is she?" his tone gradually getting edgy.

"Uh, I don't know; she's not here."

Twitty cursed under his breath. "Do you know where she might be?"

Louis opened his mouth to speak but Tawny quickly interrupted him. "Twitty, would you just get to the point and tell him what you heard." 

As soon as he heard her, Louis' mouth ran dry. Tell him what, actually? The look on their faces made his heart race.

"Okay, okay," Twitty said, taking in a deep breath. "Here's the deal: this morning I heard Will Coulson and his friend talking in a diner, the one near Miller Drive. And they were talking about a bet they made, and how Will totally blew his chances of scoring with a girl last night. I just thought you might want to warn –"   

The color on Louis' face drained. Cold sweat started to trickle down his back.  "Ren," he whispered.

"Yeah, you should really warn your sister, dude. That man is up to no good." Twitty shook his head in disapproval. "I think he's planning on scoring with the same girl today."

Even under the scorching heat of the sun, his friend's last sentence made him shiver. 

It was Tawny, who noticed his ashen complexion. "Louis, what's wrong?"

Louis wiped the sweat that started to form in his forehead. "Remember what I told you this morning about Ren? How she came home at one in the morning flat out drunk?"

Tawny nodded her head slowly, not sure where he was heading.

"Did I ever mention that it was Will who had personally invited her to his party?" 

The silence that followed only seemed to punctuate the building tension. 

Tawny was the first to speak, addressing the two panic-stricken guys in front of him. "Okay, let's not jump to conclusions here, guys. Maybe they were not really talking about Ren." 

Louis and Twitty turned to her as if she has gone completely insane. 

"Wait... that sounded stupid." Tawny ignored the look they gave her and continued. "Okay, so there's a _great_ possibility that they were talking about her," she started again, correcting herself. "But let's not panic just yet, alright?"

"Tawny," Louis said, exasperated, "we are talking about my sister here. How can I _not_ panic?!"

"Dude, we better call the cops!" Twitty piped in. He was practically jumping up and down.

"Twitty, would you please stop jumping. No one's calling the cops," she paused, "not yet. What she should do is…" Tawny rubbed her forehead and thought for a moment.  "We should go and check out with Ruby first. For all we know, your sister just might be hanging out with her, or something."

"Yes!" Louis nodded his head vigorously in agreement. "That's a brilliant idea. Let's go do that!" Without further saying a word he hopped in the passenger seat of the car and buckled his seatbelt.  

*****************

Ruby was busy painting her toe nails when someone rang the doorbell. "Just a minute," she called out. Gingerly, she stood up and slowly made her way towards the door.

Whoever it was at the door, he was evidently getting impatient. He had started knocking on the door incessantly.

She narrowed her eyes at the door, obviously annoyed. Without warning, Ruby quickly swung the door open, ready to pounce on the person. 

Ruby was very much surprised to see Louis, Tawny and Twitty standing in front of her. Louis and his best friends were the last persons she expected to see at her door steps.

"Hey guys," she greeted them uncertainly. "What brings you here?" Ruby noticed the harried expressions on their faces as she motioned them to step inside.

"Is Ren here?" Louis quickly asked without answering her question.

"What?"

"Ren, is she here?"

"No, she's not." Ruby raised her eyebrows and stared at them. This better not be one of their sick jokes. She changed her mind when she saw their crestfallen faces. "Can someone tell me what's going on?" 

In just one breath, Twitty had amazingly filled her in.

"That bastard, I knew that guy was up to something last night!" Ruby angrily exclaimed.

Louis paced back and forth. That does it. Where in hell are they supposed to find his sister?!

"Wait," Ruby suddenly exclaimed. 

They all turned to look at her.

"What?!" Louis quickly asked.

"…No, she told me she wouldn't." Ruby muttered to herself. "But how long would a trip to the store take?"  

Louis grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "Ruby, if you know something, _anything,_ just tell us!"

"Ow, could you please calm down for a minute!"

Immediately, Louis let her go. "Sorry," he mumbled, breathing heavily.

"I talked to Ren this morning," Ruby started, rubbing her shoulders. 

Tawny looked at her expectantly. "And?"

"She told me she was going to run to the store to get something."

"Well if she did, she should've been home a few hours ago, right?" Twitty chirped in.

"No, that's not my point." Ruby answered, shaking her head. "Ren mentioned that Will had again invited her to go out this afternoon." She noticed Louis' furious expression. "But after I told her what happened last night, she agreed to break it off." Ruby quickly added.

Suddenly, everything seemed to fall into place. 

Louis swallowed hard. 

"Did she mention a place or something?" Tawny softly asked.

"Yeah. They were going to meet at that café near the beach."

"Are you talking about that café down at Hudson?!" Twitty urgently asked. 

Everybody was surprised at his sudden outburst.

"Yes, I think." She nervously answered.

Twitty placed his hand on his forehead. "Oh man," he whispered. "Dude, the Coulsons own that café." he said, turning towards Louis. "And I'm pretty sure that place is under renovation when I passed by a couple of days ago."

In a heartbeat, Louis had snatched the car keys from Twitty's hands and charged outside. Ruby, Tawny and Twitty rushed after him.

"Louis, wait!" Tawny called out, arms flinging.

Too late. He had already started the engine and was backing out of the garage, fast. If he waited any longer, he's afraid that he might actually be too late.

********************

She could feel the cold, hard floor under her cheek. Disoriented, Ren blinked a few times, trying to examine her surroundings. The place was bathed in pitch darkness. She tried to move, but a sharp pain in her abdomen stopped her. "Ow," she exclaimed. It was only after then that she remembered what has happened.

Just then, a door suddenly opened. Ren squinted, blinded by the unexpected brightness. She could barely make out the figure of a man standing by the doorway. The door promptly closed, revealing Will, with a sinister smile on his face.

*****************

I'm sooo sorry for this late update! I was (actually I still am ^_^) buried in a MOUNTAIN of school work, and I haven't got the time to continue my story. I'm really sorry! The next chapter is on the way. I'm trying to write as many chapters as I could with the free time I have right now.

By the way, I just wanted to thank EVERYONE for giving those great reviews! Thanks a million, guys! I hope you keep 'em coming! ^_^   


	21. Intentions revealed

**Chapter 21: Intentions revealed **

The ominous sound of the closing door rang in Ren's ears. For her, the sound pretty much sealed her fate.

Will stood there for a moment, the smile still plastered on his face. "Nap time's over, Ren," he said. His deep voice sent an uncontrollable shiver down her spines.

"Somebody, help!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

He suddenly burst out laughing. "I wouldn't bother shouting, if I were you. No one's really going to hear you in here."

She tried to study her surroundings. They seemed to be inside some sort of restaurant, or something. There were a few tables and some chairs by the corner. There were also a lot boxes all over the place. The place was stuffy, slightly covered with dust.

"As you can see, the place is still undergoing some repairs. I don't think people will be coming here any time soon."

"You'll never get away with this!" Ren said, putting up a brave front.

Slowly, he made his way towards her. Each step he made echoed throughout the place. "It's nothing personal, really," Will said with a smirk. "But a bet is a bet, and I really hate to lose."   

"A bet?" She echoed him. "All of this is just because of some stupid bet?!" She could not believe what she was hearing. He's doing all this just for a bet?

He stopped a few feet in front of her and stood there for a moment. 

"You don't understand. An opportunity like this is hard to come by." He gave her a silly smile. 

Ren tried to scramble away from him, which was almost made impossible by the strong rope that bound both her hands and feet. She managed to sit up. His menacing figure was enough to send her shaking.

Crouching down, he cupped her face in his hand. "Don't worry Ren, I'll be as gentle as I can be. Who knows, you might enjoy it yourself." He chuckled at his own remarks.

For the first time since the two of them met, Ren was finally seeing Will's true self. She felt a tinge of anger. Breathing heavily, she tried to focus on that anger. Ren figured that if she wanted to fight back Will, she's going to need all the anger she could muster.

"You sick _bastard_!" she furiously exclaimed. 

What happened next was so fast that Ren never even saw it coming. Will's fist appeared from nowhere and hit her with a backhand, really hard. 

Ren's head snapped back as she fell on the floor. The blow sent her jaw shut tight.

"Tsk, tsk, there's no need to get all bitchy, especially with me." Will gave her an reprimanding look. "I don't take criticisms very well." 

The punch was so strong that she actually tasted blood in her mouth. For a few seconds she laid there, coughing out the blood.

Will grabbed her by the shoulders and put her right up. "Now look what you made me do," he said, holding her face again.

Ren angrily jerked her head away. She glared at him with pure hatred in her eyes.

Will made a move to wipe her mouth, but Ren stubbornly refused. 

He held up his hands. "Hey, we could do this the easy way or the hard way, Ren," Will said with a shrug. "It's your choice, but I suggest we do this the easy way. It's better, for both of us." 

Will took out a knife from his back pocket.

All the blood drained from Ren's face. Her heart must have skipped a beat or two or twenty, because her chest started to hurt.

He saw the expression on her face and laughed. "What? I'm not going to use this on you, if that's what you're thinking!" Will leaned closer and cut the rope that was binding her feet. "Now _that's_ better," he said with a devilish grin. He started to run his hands up and down her legs. 

Again, he brought out something from his pocket. This time, it was small digital camera. "Just something to show to the guys. You know, evidence, just in case they don't want to believe me." He reasoned. "How about a little smile there, huh?" 

Ren blinked hard as the camera suddenly flashed in her face. A few more clicks later and he finally looped the strap on his left arm.

Will leaned in closer, smiling mischievously at her. His face was inches in front of her when, all of a sudden, Ren slammed her head to his face. As Will fell back, she used the opportunity to give him a powerful kick. 

Ren breathed heavily, fully aware of the pounding pain in her head. She made a mistake and over calculated the force of her blows. It left her with little strength to try and get away.

"Why you little _BITCH!_" Will exclaimed. He clutched his nose with his hands, and bent down in pain. The camera on his arm was thrown across the room.

Standing up, Will tried to shake of the pain. There was a trickle of blood coming from his nose. 

"You want it the hard way, then. It's fine by me," Will said, wiping the blood off.

For the first time in her life, Ren felt something she had never felt before: the feeling sheer terror. 

He was utterly livid with anger. The vicious look on his eyes absolutely frightened her.

Ren body shook hard as she waited for his move. 

Will grabbed her with a quick swoop. In one powerful stroke he hurled her, sending her flying across the room. "See, I told you anything is fine by me." 

Ren landed with a loud thud and crashed against the tables. The impact of the fall jolted her – every inch of her body ached in pain. She just lay there, gasping for air.

She barely had time to gather her thoughts and already Will was looming in front of her. 

Like a piece of rag doll, he hoisted her up. "I could do this all day if you want, or until you're ready. Again, your pick. Just tell me when to stop so we could get on it." 

Ren tried to blink away the tears that were starting to fall down her cheeks. 

Will smiled at her like a maniac. "Don't worry, we have all the time we need."

*******************

Louis was speeding down the highway like a madman. Craning his neck to look for any signs of a police patrol, he stepped on the gas pedal. He was shooting down the road at almost seventy miles per hour. 

"Come on, come on," he muttered to himself. Louis kept his eyes trained on the road.

He tried to clear his mind, and swallowed back the knot that started to form in his throat. Instead, he thought of a thousand possible scenarios on what to do with Will once he laid a finger on Ren. And each one would end with him beating the pulp out of Will – _that_, he was sure of. Never mind that the guy's twenty pounds heavier than him. 

Louis' grip on the steering wheel tightened. His plan was simple: get in, get Ren, and get out. How hard could that actually be?


	22. Eleventh hour

**Chapter 22: Eleventh hour**

Louis slowed down the car as soon as he turned left on Hudson Avenue. 

He cursed under his breath. "Damn!" In his hurry, he forgot to ask Twitty for the exact location of the café. If only he had stopped and actually thought for a second, he wouldn't be here wasting his time trying to find the freakin' place.  

With the exception of a couple of cars he just passed by, the entire street looked almost deserted. Nondescript structures lined both side of the street. Louis turned his head left and right, looking for any signs of life.  

The place gave him the creeps. He'd been driving halfway down the road and he has yet to see a living soul. Whether it was due to the scorching heat of the sun, or the laziness of the afternoon, he just wasn't sure. 

_If I was a criminal and wanted to commit a crime or murder or something, this would be the perfect place to do it._

Louis shuddered at the thought. No doubt, Will brought his sister here for the same reason, one way or another. 

He was still cruising at twenty miles per hour when something suddenly caught his eye. Up ahead, about a hundred meters away, was a small building different from the others. Louis slightly increased speed his speed. As he got closer, he noticed a small sign up front. 

"Beach Side Café…" he read, squinting. His heartbeat skipped a beat. That was it! _That must be the place!_

Louis pulled over a few meters away and surveyed the place. From the looks of it, the place indeed belonged to the Coulsons'. It was different from the others. There was something about the place that screamed for his attention.

He sat there for a second, contemplating on his next moves. Situated at the front entrance was a huge sign that said _Under Renovation_.

_Okay, what was the initial plan again? _"Right, I just have to barge right in and get Ren out."

"Wait, I can't just do that," Louis said out loud. Going in there without some a more concrete plan, he might end up putting Ren in more danger. Not to mention himself, as well. "But if I don't get in there right now, that bastard might be…" He trailed off. Instead, he gripped the wheel so hard, his knuckles turned white.

Taking a deep breath, Louis motioned for the door and alighted from the car. As quietly as he could, he approached the building. Louis stopped short in front of the entrance. There was no way for him to enter through that door, seeing that it was all boarded up.

_There has got to be another way – another entrance, or something._ He rubbed his chin in frustration. Louis retraced his steps. This time he went straight down the small alley, beside the building. It led to an ever smaller alley behind the café. His heart quickly jammed into his throat as he caught sight of a black sports car. It was inconspicuously parked behind a tall stack of wooden crates and boxes.

True enough, he found a service door. Louis could feel his heartbeat quicken. _Blow this one, and it will be game over. _He knew the element of surprise was his best and only advantage towards the guy. "One wrong move, Louis," he whispered to himself, "and that advantage is gone."

**************************

"Ren, Ren, Ren," Will sneered as he kept her pressed against a wall. "You're making this rather hard for the both of us. Why is that, huh?" He snuggled closer to her neck. "I thought this was what you wanted in the first place. You know, last night on the couch, remember?" 

"Get off me!" Ren desperately struggled to get free as Will started kissing her on the neck. 

Will slightly pulled away and roared with laughter. "I always find a feisty woman an absolute turn on," he said with a wink. Keeping his firm grasp on her, he resumed his kisses. 

She shivered as Will pinned his body against hers. He wasn't joking when he said he was getting turned on – Ren felt it, literally. 

He must have sensed her fear. "Don't worry, I always come prepared," Will whispered in her ears. A small smile crept on his face. He leaned in, this time pressing his lips against hers.

Blood drained from every inch of her face as Ren froze in absolute panic. She continued to struggle, more vigorous this time. All her hope started run out when she suddenly paused, momentarily distracted. _Yes, there is a god!_ Her heart jumped in glee. In her struggle, the rope that bound her arms behind her back was starting to get loose. _If I could just get this thing out, it would be easier for me to escape with both my hands… _Ren finally ignored Will – who was still kissing her – and instead focused all her attention to the rope. Her wrists started to feel raw, but she didn't care. The sooner she got it off, the sooner she could make a break for it. 

Will paid no attention to her, keeping his vise-like grip on both her arms. He pulled away slightly, out of breath. "I knew you were going to come around," he said with a lascivious smile. Will was obviously referring to the fact that Ren wasn't fending off his kisses anymore. He reached for his pants and unbuckled his belt. 

_Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!_ Ren tugged on the rope frantically. _Come on, a little more! _

Will slipped one of his hands inside Ren's shirt and caressed her bare back for a minute. Finally, it stopped and reached for the buttons of her shirt. One, two, three, Will unbuttoned it until he had exposed her entire midsection. For a moment, Will marveled at the sight.

Ren blinked back the tears that were now starting to spill from her eyes. 

As if in mockery, Will slowly unzipped his pants. Next, he reached for Ren's jeans, and unzipped it as well, more slowly this time. Will then stopped, and reached for something inside his back pocket. When his hand emerged, Ren saw that he was holding a small packet. It turned out to be a packet of condom. He tore it open with his teeth.

The agonizing sound tortured Ren to no end. _No, no, this can't be!_ Ren couldn't believe what was happening. She was so close, how could she lose now? She sobbed silently, still tugging at the rope. Not once in her life did Ren want this to happen. How can this happen, anyway? All she ever wanted was to have some fun. But this, this was definitely NOT fun. This was downright torture.

In a final attempt to get free, she gave a one last yank at the rope. She then heard a slight pop, followed by an immense pain on her left hand, causing her to bite her lip. The bitter taste of blood of her stung her. It was then that she felt something thick and warm oozing from her hands. Ren had actually pulled on the rope so hard that it dug through her skin, causing it to bleed. Not to mention dislocate her left hand either, as she suspected.

Ren slightly moved her right hand, trying to feel the damage she has done to her self. Surprisingly, she found out that she can move it for a considerably large amount of space. In fact, she found out that she can move it freely! Quickly, Ren removed the rope from her other hand.

Just as Will was about to reach into his boxers, the door opened wide with a loud bang. 

The sudden light created by the opened door illuminated the whole scene before Louis' eyes. What he saw was enough to make his stomach turn.

"Ren!" he cried out.

****************************


	23. Eye of the storm

**Chapter 23: Eye of the storm**

"Ren!" he cried out.

For Louis, time had suddenly stopped as he gazed at the horrific view in front of him. His blood boiled with anger as he realized that he had literally caught Will with his pants down, pinning his sister on the wall. What made him angrier was the sight of his sister: Ren trapped against a wall with her disheveled clothing. It looked like Will was only halfway finished undressing her, which was a good thing. Louis would never been able to forgive himself if he came in a second later.   

Simultaneously, Ren planted her good hand on Will's shoulder and shoved him away. He stumbled back easily, with his pants bunched down just below his hips, preventing him from keeping his balance. He didn't had the time to turn around and see who it was who interrupted them.

Louis wasted no time. "Get the fuck off my sister, you son of a _bitch_!" Like an angry bull, he charged towards Will. They both fell against the stack of chairs and tables by the corner. A loud crashing sound echoed as Louis slammed Will on the ground.   

Cradling her left arm, she squinted at the figure before her. "Louis?!" She exclaimed in incredulity, but at the same time in absolute relief.

Immediately, Louis rushed to Ren and held his sister in a tight embrace. "Ren, oh my god, are you okay?" he worriedly asked. 

Hot tears were flowing freely from her cheeks. Ren could not help but breakdown and cry. The emotions she has been trying to control – fear, anger, desperation and relief all at the same time – finally broke through. Her knees buckled as she shook in her brother's arms. The exhaustion from this ordeal – both physical and emotional – has finally gotten through her.

"I – I really th-thought that nobody was going to fi-find us here," she stammered in between sobs. "I was afraid that…" Ren trailed off as her whole body was racked in sobs. Like a small child she clung to Louis for support, shaking in fear.

To see his sister like that felt like a huge wrench was violently twisting his insides. Since they were kids, Louis witnessed how Ren overcame every obstacle that she has encountered. It was her strength that he admired the most in his sister. And seeing Ren now, so vulnerable, so helpless so… broken… he could only imagine the anguish Will must have caused her. 

He gave her a small kiss on the forehead. "Shhh, it's okay Ren," Louis whispered in a soothing voice, stroking her head. "It's okay. There was no need to panic, really. You know I'd always come for you." He told her with a smile. "It's just that I got a little late this time, but it's okay… I'm here." Both of them stood there, silent, still holding each other. They were brother and sister, siblings, in every sense of the word.

A few minutes later and Ren had finally calmed down.

Louis let her go and examined his sister, cupping his hands on her face. He noticed for the first time the damage inflicted by Will. There were cuts on her face, one on her lower lip and one just above her right eyebrow. A bruise had also formed on the right side of her face. Louis also noticed the rings of blood on her wrists, as well as her swollen left hand. "Here, take this," he said, taking off his jacket. "Let's get that hand checked. It doesn't look good to me." He motioned towards her. 

She smiled at him, her cheeks slightly pink in embarrassment, as she tried to fix herself in vain. "Thanks, Lou," Ren answered meekly. 

His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at Ren, who was, oddly, slightly hunching over. Delicately, Louis swept her still unbuttoned shirt sideways and noticed a big ugly bruise, about the size of a fist, on her smooth stomach. He wrapped the jacket tightly around Ren's shoulders, with his jaw was set in anger. "Come on, let's get outta here," he said, hoping that Ren wouldn't notice him shake in anger and disgust for Will. The guy was beyond being a bastard. He was a freakin' monster!

Seeing his sister limping, Louis supported Ren by talking her good arm and wrapping it around his shoulders. He then put his other arm around her waist to hold her up. Slowly, they ambled their way towards the door.

********************

Will just lay there, unmoving. He could hear hushed voices, male and female, talking to each other. Opening his eyes, he realized that he was still on the floor. Will blinked a couple of times, completely disoriented. He rubbed his aching head, trying to remember what had just happened. Yes, now he remembered. Someone bastard came in and slammed him to the ground, hence the headache. 

_Didn't Ren call him something? _Now he knew that name sounded familiar to him._ Wait, did she say Louis?!_ Everything just clicked into place. _Louis… the bitch's little brother?! How the hell did he know she was here?!_

As quietly as possible, Will gathered himself up. He stayed within the shadows, careful of not being seen. His eyes were burning with anger as he gazed at the two. Will quickly fixed himself and put on his jeans. Those two have done nothing except ruin his plans. 

He will have his revenge on the Stevens siblings. _Nobody crosses Will Coulson and gets away with it._ He winced as he ran his hand on the back of his head. If there was one thing that hurt more than his head, it was his ego, which made it even worse. Will Coulson's ego was the size of Texas.

Will stood still in the shadows, watching their every move. At the same time, he was planning on his own. He can't just let them get away. Imagine the reaction of the people when they found out what has happened here… or what he has planned to happen here. 

"_Let's get outta here."_ He heard Louis said. Taking that as his cue, Will swiftly moved towards the door and slammed it shut. The sound echoed deafeningly around the place. Again, the room was plunged into complete darkness. "And where do you think you're going?" he asked menacingly.

*******************

Louis almost jumped at the sound of the slamming door. Instinctively, he stepped in front Ren. Both of them were absolutely surprised when they heard Will's booming voice.

"Stay behind me," he whispered to her. Ren could only give him a weak nod. He blinked a couple of times and waited for his vision to adjust.

"Listen Will, it's all over," he said. His eyes darted around the place, searching for Will. "Why don't you just let us go, huh? And we'll pretend that nothing has happened."

He scoffed at his remark. "Yeah, right. You'd do that, uh-huh." His voice had suddenly grown serious. "It's _you_ who should listen."

There was a pause. Louis was still unsuccessful in trying to find him. 

As if sensing what he was doing, Ren whispered something from behind. "Listen to his voice, Lou." 

"I can't let you out of here," Will said, "because if I did, it would certainly create a scandal. And scandals, well, scandals are not good."

Louis focused on the sound of Will's voice. It sounded as if it was coming from their right side.

"Imagine what would happen to my reputation. More importantly my _family's _reputation." Will didn't notice it but he was shaking in frustration. "The media would surely feast on this story."

Even though Ren could not see him, she knew that he was completely and utterly enraged, judging by the tone and sound of his voice.   

"Just imagine the severe consequences if this whole thing blows." The sound of his voice shifted from their right side to the left. "So, you see, I really don't have much of a choice. I have all the reason to keep you guys, and this thing, in here."

Louis laughed out loud. "Dude, you have totally lost it! What are you going to do, kill us and keep our bodies in here?" His question was met with eerie silence. 

A large knot formed in both Louis and Ren's stomach. Was the guy actually serious?!

Has Will Coulson turned from an opportunistic horny bastard to a full time criminal?

********************


	24. Will's stipulation

**Chapter 24:** **Will's stipulation**

"Okay, now I didn't say that." Will finally answered. "Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of kidnapping. Let's see..." he said pensively. Again, there was a pause, followed shortly by a snap of finger. "Oh, right. I was about to be kidnapped by four guys who wanted to milk some cash from my dad. Unfortunately, you two caught sight of them, so they had to bring you in as well. They brought us here while they plan the call. Good for me, I was able to escape from their clutches, call the police and thus rescue you." He laughed, satisfied at his own plan. "How's that for a spin?"

Obviously, Will's creative thinking totally made up for whatever he lacked in other departments.

"Of course," he quickly added, "we have to, you know, make it _look _convincing." There was a sudden clap of hands. "Okay, so why don't we start? I can – "

"Cut the bullshit, Coulson," Louis angrily interrupted. "Do you really think I'm just gonna stand here and patiently wait for your sorry ass to do that?" Louis knew that Will could only care less about his reputation. What Will really wanted was revenge, and he'd rather have Louis and Ren standing like stones while he's at it. "Why don't we just settle this right now, man to man? Winner gets to walk away and do whatever he wants."

Ren gulped hard. Louis," she hissed, tugging his right sleeve. "I really don't think that's a good idea right now." This was not the perfect time to pick a fight with Will. They weren't actually at an advantage here.

"No, Ren. I have had enough of this guy." He didn't even bother to lower his voice. "Who does he think he is?" Louis turned to where he thought Will was standing. "Come on, man, what do you say?" 

Silence answered him.

"What, you'd take on my sister but you wouldn't take on me?" Louis snorted. "Just as I thought: you're nothing but a big stinking coward." That did the trick. 

"I always knew your sister was the smartest one in the family. Guess I wasn't wrong." Will suddenly answered back in a tight voice. "You're in way over your head, kiddo." He whispered menacingly. "You should have listened to dear old sister on this one."

Louis instinctively backed away a few steps. His eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness, but there was still no sign of Will anywhere. Adrenaline was pulsating throughout his body.

Ren's head snapped to the left. The hairs on the back of her head started to rise. She swore she saw a shadow moving out of the corner of her eye.

All of a sudden a fast, pounding footsteps emanated from behind them.

"Louis!" Ren cried out as realization hit her.

Before the two of them could turn around, Will had already shoved Ren aside and used his momentum to tackle Louis to the ground.

There was a loud crashing sound as both of them landed on some crates. Louis felt it breaking underneath him.

Almost immediately, Will started pounding on Louis. 

He did not have time to defend himself. Pinned beneath Will, Louis tried his best to protect his head against Will's blows. 

"What's wrong with you, Stevens?" He said in a mocking tone. "Your sister put up a hell lot better of a fight than what you're doing right now."

Hoping against hope, he gathered all his strength and punched into the air. Fortunately, it landed square on Will's jaw, shutting it tight. The force of the impact temporarily stunned Will. 

Taking advantage of this, Louis shoved him away and stood up. He breathed heavily, wiping the sweat and dust that has now covered his face. 

Will stood ten feet away from Louis, glaring furiously. He spat some blood on the floor. "I'm going to enjoy beating the hell out of you," he said, wiping his mouth. "And when I'm done, I will be enjoying your sister as well." Will charged forward.

This time, Louis was already prepared for his punches and was throwing a few ones of his own. 

Ren watched from the sidelines in despair. Louis was barely holding up against Will. He was just taller, bigger, and stronger than her brother was. She knew Louis was fighting a losing battle.

Louis gasped for air as Will held his muscular arm around his neck. His face was flushed from lack of air. "Ren," he croaked, while desperately trying to suck oxygen. "Go on, get the hell outta here." 

"I – I can't leave you here!" She quickly protested. 

"No! Stay right were you are!" Will quickly turned around and wildly stared at her. "Step out of this room and I'll kill your brother right here, right now. I MEAN IT!"

***************************


	25. Silver lining

**Chapter 25: Silver lining**

She flinched at the sound of his voice. _Oh my god. _ Her stomach churned in dread. _He has completely lost it!_

"Don't listen to him, Ren. Come on, get out!" Louis yelled. He was still struggling to break free from his grasp. "Get… off… me!" Louis finally managed to bury his elbows in Will's gut. In an instant, Will had released him and staggered backwards. "What are you waiting for?" He shouted urgently, turning towards his sister.

"But – "

"I said get outta here, NOW!" He repeated. "Don't worry about me, I got this. Go on, get out!"

Ren scrambled to her feet and headed for the door.

"NO!" 

She turned around and, as if in slow motion, watched as Will pulled out the knife from his pocket and lunged at Louis. She could not believe at what was happening. It felt as if she was trapped watching a horrible movie as Will and Louis wrestled to control the knife. A few more seconds and they suddenly stood still. Louis let out a small gasp. The knife made a sickening sound as Will pulled it out from Louis' stomach.  

Ren felt lightheaded as she watched the whole thing unfolded before her eyes. She stood there, strangely numbed and nauseated at the same time, as Louis slowly crumbled to the floor. Ren then noticed a tightening in her chest, and realized that she has been holding her breath the whole time. _No, no, no! This can't… no! Come on Lou, get up. Don't scare me like this… Please don't… Please get up. _"Louis…" she choked back a sob. There was a small pool of blood starting to form on the ground. No, her brother can't be dead. He can't be… he just can't. 

Will, who had her back against her, slowly turned to face her. He was standing over his brother, the knife still firm in his grasp. "I told you to stay," he said, breathing heavily. "Didn't you hear me?" 

Ren still stood there, frozen in terror. _Run… get the hell out of here!_ Unfortunately, it was as if her feet have suddenly turned to stone. 

"Look what you made me do," he said quietly, nudging Louis with his foot. "I killed your brother…" Will shook his head. "I… killed… your… brother.  I – I'm a _murderer_!" He grasped his head with his hand. Frustration was etched all over his face.

"There's nothing I can do." Will slowly made his way towards her. "I – I gotta finish this now… I _need_ to finish this." The despondent reaction on his face told Ren everything. 

_Stupid, stupid! Come on, move! Do you want to die?!_ Finally, Ren felt her right foot take a slow step backwards, followed quickly by the left foot. "No, listen to me Will. You don't have to do this." she begged him. "You could stop this. Just please... listen to me."  

Will shook his head in response. "I can't," he answered dejectedly. Instead, he quickly made his way towards her. 

The blade at his hand glistened; light from opened door reflecting on it. Ren could see a streak of blood trickling down the knife – his brother's blood. 

Ten feet… six feet… four feet. In an instant, he was almost in front of her. "I'm sorry things have to come to this." Will looked at her in the eye, almost apologetic.

Ren took another step backward. _Damn it, no! _She realized that she was just a second too late as Will lunged at her with the knife. Ren was prepared – or at least she thought she was – for the knife to pierce her stomach. What she wasn't prepared for, however, were the pieces of furnishings right behind her. She cried out in pain, stumbling backwards. There was a hot searing pain on her already battered left arm. Ren grabbed her it, making sure her arm was still attached. It felt as if somebody has set it on fire and was about to fall off.

Will was slightly surprised at the sudden turn of events. However, he was not about to be deterred. Again, he inched his way closer as Ren desperately tried to scramble away.

Death was inevitable for every human being, but it would be a lot earlier for Ren Stevens. 

_This is it. _She looked at him, every shred of her hope gone. _No more school, no more friends, no more family. _Her family. Resigned to her fate, a feeling of guilt overwhelmed her. How could she put her family through this kind of ordeal? How _would _a mother cope with the loss of two children? Ren quickly snapped back from her thoughts. In one last show of bravery, she slowly tipped her head upwards and stared at Will's face.

He raised the knife, intent to finish the job he has started. There was a beat before he finally swung it down. 

Ren's eyes went wide with shock. The wood made a sickening sound as it connected with the back of his head. The knife stopped inches from her face. All of a sudden, Will slumped on the floor, on her feet. Standing just behind him was Louis, heaving furiously. His one hand was holding a big piece of wood, while the other was clutching his stomach. There was a rather huge stain of blood on his shirt.

"Louis!" she exclaimed in tears. She scrambled towards her brother, who slowly crumbled to the floor next to hers. Ren hugged her little brother tight, shedding tears of utter relief.

"Shhh," he hushed her. "It's going to be alright, Ren," Louis whispered as he put his arms around her. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "We're going to be alright." 

Distant sounds of sirens reverberated as everything around them slowly faded into darkness.

***************************


	26. Coversations

**Chapter 26: Conversations**

_"How did they find them?"_

_"The police said that they found the three of them inside an empty café that was being renovated down on __Hudson Ave.__ Louis' friends reported to the police about the suspected kidnapping, and tipped the place off."_

There was a sigh, followed by a silent sob.

_First the car accident, and now this? I don't know what's going to happen next."_

_"Shhh, Eileen.  You shouldn't say that. Anyway – "_

Their conversation was interrupted by a light rapping on the door. A small ray of light slightly illuminated the room.

_"Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Stevens? The police would like to talk to you. They want to discuss with you what charges to press. If you could please follow me outside."_

_"Okay, we'll be right outside, thank you."_

_"Steve, are you sure it's alright to leave them? What if one them suddenly wakes up?"_

_"I'm sure it's fine. Besides, we'll just be on the other side of this door."_

_"…Okay."_

*************************

Ren woke up with a start. Her eyes darted around the dark room, dazed and confused. It was moments after the familiar smell of antiseptic hit her nose did she realize that she was inside a hospital room. Licking her dry lips, she waited until her eyes adjusted to her dark surroundings. The room was partially illuminated by the light coming from the moon outside. There was a small clock hanging on the wall. It read 2:30. 

The steady beeping of a heart monitor sounded throughout the room, as if alerting her of the other presence beside her bed. Ren turned her head to see her brother lying on the bed next to hers. 

She winced in pain as she tried to sit up. It was then that she noticed her heavily bandaged upper arm, in a sling. As well as the cast around her wrist. Ren slightly massaged her forehead, fully aware of the growing pounding on her head. Removing the oxygen from her nose, she slowly tried to get out of bed. The cold floor underneath her bare foot made her shiver a little, as she made her way towards Louis.

For Ren, the scene was all too familiar: the bleak surroundings of the room, the smell of alcohol, and the beeping sounds of the machines. Hell, how couldn't she? Not too long ago it has been her environment, which lasted for weeks. In fact, it has only been almost a month since that, and now she was back here. However, instead of Ren, it was now Louis who was lying prostrate on the bed, unmoving.

Silently, she pulled the chair right beside his bed and sat down. Ren watched her brother forlornly. There were a few bruises on his face, as well as his arms. Looking at him like that, no one would ever suspect how close he was to death. Nevertheless, Ren knew that the hospital gown only hid the hole Will created on his gut. She gave his hand a slight squeeze, before planting a light kiss on his cheek. "What was I thinking, dragging you into all of these?" She asked herself, crying bitterly.

As if to answer her, Louis suddenly stirred. He blinked a few times, and noticed his sister beside him. "Ren?" he croaked. 

Ren almost jumped on her seat. "Louis," she exclaimed. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you up." She started to rise from her chair. "You really should get some rest. I'll get back to my bed now. Get some sleep, I'll just – "

"No wait, Ren," he protested, grabbing her hand. "Please, just stay. I really don't feel so sleepy anymore, anyway."

Ren nodded her slowly, and promptly took her seat. Discreetly, she tried to wipe the tears from eyes. However, Louis didn't fail to notice this. For what seemed liked ages to Ren, she saw Louis break into his all too familiar goofy grin.

"What wrong?" He suddenly turned serious. "Oh no, don't tell me. I'm going to die, aren't I?" Louis asked in mocked seriousness.

"That's not funny Louis," she chastised him. "You could have, this afternoon." Ren gave him a slight slap on the shoulder.

"Ouch!"

Her eyes went wide, suddenly alarmed. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt – "

"Relax Ren, it was just a joke!" He snorted. "Just trying to lighten up the mood. Your looking very somber right there. You shoulda seen your face!" He started laughing, but soon his face contorted into a grimace as he grabbed his stomach. "Ow! Got to remind me not to do that again. It really hurts." Louis settled in a few seconds later. "Hey, what time is it, anyway? And where's mom and dad?" He went on and on and on.

"Louis," she interrupted him, suddenly growing serious.

"Hmm, yeah? What is it?"

"I just… I just want to say thank you, for saving me out there." There was a sudden pause.  "Why?" She asked. "I mean, you hated me, remember?"

Gingerly, he cupped her face into his hands. "I could never, _ever,_ hate you, Ren." Louis said, his eyes boring intently into hers. "How could I do that? You're my only sister, for crying out loud."

"But you said so yourself. You said – "

"That was just me being crazy. I guess I was just frustrated," he said, shaking his head. "How do you think I would feel to see my sister go into a self-destructive spin?" Louis let out a sigh. "I was upset, and I said some things I shouldn't have said. I'm sorry for that."

"No, you were right. And it was my fault why we ended up here in the first place." Ren flashed him an apologetic smile. "I should be the one asking for forgiveness."

They both remained silent for a moment.

"Now can I ask you the same thing? Why? What happened to you? In just a blink of an eye you were this wild girl I hardly even knew!"

"What do you think?" Ren felt her cheeks begin to redden. "I got scared."

"Riiight. So, you went wild the first chance you got." The sarcastic tone of his voice was unmistakable.

"No, it's not like that." She paused. "You see, when we were inside that car, my life just flashed in front of my eyes. I remember thinking, '_my god_ that was short'." A sad smile crept on her face. "And when I saw it, I realized how… boring my life was! Never having real fun, thinking nothing besides school, books…" Ren trailed off. "It just made me snap. Then I woke up in a hospital room realizing how afraid I was… Afraid that I might go again through life missing out all the fun stuff. Life was too short not to enjoy it... and for the past eighteen years of my life, I have done everything except that. I was sitting there staring straight at my own mortality and it scared me. My _life_ scared me." It was a confession Ren had been so longing to make, but actually too afraid to do so. In front of her brother, she wasn't afraid anymore.

It was as if someone dumped an ice-cold bucket of water on him. Beneath the calm and strong façade she has be showing, Louis never knew how much his sister was suffering. "I – I'm sorry I wasn't there you, Ren. I had no idea you were feeling that way." Louis was clenching and unclenching his fists. "Boy, how selfish could I get?" he asked himself angrily. "I was too wrapped up with myself I forgot all about how it affected you."

"Yeah, well, you weren't the only one. When I saw Will attack you with that knife, it just kinda snapped back." A single tear spilled from her eyes. Ren made no move of wiping it. "My sudden lack of responsibilities almost cost my brother his life."

That struck a chord. Louis found himself chuckling lightly at the irony they were in. "Funny," he said, addressing Ren's curious stare. "I was thinking of the same thing the last time we were here." They both grew quiet. "How _my _lack of responsibilities almost cost my _sister_ her life."

"You were?"

"Yup. That's why I decided to drop that mantra. You know, the one that I kept telling you about. I wasn't about to exchange my sister's life for that."

"Oh, so that's why all of a sudden you were this goody-two-shoes brother I had! I always thought you just hit your head hard or something." Ren gave a small laugh. 

Louis shot her a mocking glare. "Ha ha, very funny."

Ren rested her head on the bed. "Wow, talk about ironies. This one's for the books."

"Yeah," Louis answered, twirling locks of his sister's long brown hair into his fingers. "And here I thought it only happens in the movies." They both share a laugh, although Louis tried really hard not to.

It was there, the unmistakable bond between a brother and a sister. Only this time it was clearer… stronger than before.

Ren continued laughing in her seat.

"What?" he queried.

"I was just thinking." She lifted her head and turned towards Louis. "Pants down… sliding on the ice… I don't think it's such a bad idea."

Louis looked at her incredulously. " Wait, after all that has happened?! It's not?"

"Nah," Ren answered with an impish smile. "It's not, actually… You know, just every once in a while."

END

****************

Okay, first of all, the apologies! I'm so sorry these last three chapters took me so long to post. I got behind on my writing due to my schoolwork. Then when I finished a chapter, I realized that it's better if I included the other last two when I post. Don't ask me why, I have no clue where I got that idea myself. ^_^

Well anyway, moving on to the reviews… I don't think there are enough words in the dictionary that could fully express my gratitude to each and everyone that took their time to write a review for my story. I know this probably won't cut it, but THANKS a million guys! ^_^ you're the best!!! Now, I won't mention any names. I might forget to mention some of your names and thus reveal to the world how stupid I can get. ;p

So, you know who you are, guys. It was really nice working with you. Those reviews really helped me a LOT. Writing the story was really worthwhile, thanks to your reviews. See you again next time! Thanks!!! 


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